MINISTERS have confirmed an agreement providing Tata Steel with a £500 million grant towards its transition to electric arc furnace technology. The announcement comes as Tata Steel prepares to phase out its blast furnace operations at Port Talbot, one of the UK’s largest steelworks.

The switch to electric arc furnaces, which melt scrap steel, is part of a broader effort to reduce carbon emissions and modernise the UK’s steelmaking industry. The £500 million grant was initially approved by the previous Conservative government, and Labour has pledged to honour the commitment. The formal announcement is expected in the House of Commons later this week.

The transition will bring significant changes to the workforce at Port Talbot. Approximately 2,500 workers are facing redundancy, with an additional 300 jobs expected to be cut in the future. Despite this, Tata Steel and unions have agreed on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that could see further investments in the facility, including the development of a steel plate production plant for offshore wind turbines.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “I welcome today’s funding announcement. The Welsh Government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the UK Government in doing all we can to support workers at Tata Steel and provide a new future for steel production in Wales.  

“In what continues to be an incredibly unsettling situation for many, we will continue to work with all parties to ensure that workers, suppliers and the wider community are supported as the industry transitions to making the green steel that will be vital to the future of the UK economy.”

But Welsh Conservative Shadow Economy and Energy Minister, Samuel Kurtz MS, from Pembrokeshire, said: “The Labour UK Government has been disingenuous with their promises to the people of Wales and fallen short with their new offer, putting steelworker jobs at risk.

“Unfortunately, there is no new money yet allocated by the Labour Government that promised much more during the election campaign.

“The new terms also risk future job losses by threatening the withdrawal of this vital support package agreed by the Conservative Government. This is wrong. The priority should always be protecting the livelihoods and the futures of our steel communities.”

Union sources have confirmed that the MoU includes assurances for the company’s other Welsh sites, such as Llanwern, Trostre, and Shotton, as well as commitments to explore new steel plate technology. This potential new facility in Port Talbot could play a vital role in the UK’s burgeoning offshore wind industry.

Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, emphasised the need for competitive electricity prices to support the transition to electric arc furnace technology. “As the steel sector in the UK moves to fully electric arc furnaces, and therefore using an enormous amount of electricity, having competitively priced electricity is critical to the success of our future,” said Mr Stace.

The UK government has introduced schemes to reduce energy costs for major industries like steel, but Stace argued that more needs to be done to bring prices in line with European competitors in France and Germany. He also called on the government to use some of its £2.5 billion steel support fund to help lower electricity costs for producers like Tata Steel.

UK Steel has also urged the government to increase its use of domestically produced steel for major infrastructure projects, reducing reliance on imports. Mr Stace noted that the UK must make investments in facilities like a wide-gauge heavy plate mill to ensure the industry can meet future demands, particularly from the offshore wind sector.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said the government was committed to supporting the UK steel industry through its British Industry Supercharger scheme and the recently established Great British Energy initiative, aimed at accelerating the shift to clean energy.

“We’re working in partnership with trade unions and businesses to secure a green steel transition that’s right for the workforce and safeguards the future of the steel industry in Britain,” the spokesperson said. They also reaffirmed the government’s £2.5 billion investment commitment to rebuilding the UK steel industry and supporting affected communities.

Labour’s commitment to honour the previous government’s grant has been welcomed by unions and industry leaders. However, Welsh Conservatives have criticised Labour for taking too long to confirm the funding. Shadow Welsh Secretary Lord Davies of Gower called on the government to expedite financial aid to affected workers.

As Tata Steel and the government navigate the challenges of decarbonising the steel industry, the Port Talbot steelworks remains a focal point of the UK’s industrial future, with both environmental and economic implications at stake.

A joint statement from the Community and GMB trade unions was released on Wednesday, and reads as follows: “This deal is not something to celebrate, but – with the improvements the unions and the Government have negotiated – it is better than the devastating plan announced by Tata and the Tories back in September 2023. Through the MOU discussions the unions were able to secure concessions including a comprehensive skills and retention programme, and extensive investment commitments. We welcome the Labour Government’s intervention which has served to strengthen and lock down the terms of the MOU.

“Clearly this is not where we wanted to be, and we know that a better plan was available. Back in November last year, Community and GMB published the Multi-Union Plan, an alternative approach that would have safeguarded Port Talbot steelmaking and secured a just transition for the workforce. Regretfully we couldn’t secure the support of all stakeholders for our credible alternative decarbonisation strategy, and ultimately the company rejected the basis of our proposals, representing a tragic missed opportunity.

“Under the circumstances representatives of all the steel unions resolved to negotiate the best possible deal, and then put it to a ballot of the membership. This is what we have done, and voting is underway. Our members will decide whether or not to accept the MOU, and the next steps we take together will be informed by the outcome of the ballots.

“Going forward the Government must review existing policies and do everything in its power to ensure that decarbonisation does not mean deindustrialisation – you can’t build a greener economy without a healthy steel industry.”

Responding to the government’s announcement of its deal with Tata Steel, Paul Morozzo, senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “This is an improvement on the previous government’s proposals but unfortunately it doesn’t yet do enough to protect jobs and this country’s ability to produce green steel. 

“We urge the government to heed the warnings of the past and invest fully in industries of the future. Tackling the climate crisis presents a huge opportunity to create good sustainable jobs, unlocking new economic opportunities for communities all over the country.

“Proper investment in UK green steel production would help our renewable energy supply chain whilst supporting workers and communities in places like Port Talbot and Scunthorpe, rather than having to rely on polluting imported steel to build wind turbines. 

“Climate justice and worker justice must go hand in hand so that we can all experience the huge benefits of the transition to renewable energy.”