Fuel for blast furnaces and iron ore supplies arrive at British Steel

Sunday 27 April 2025 7:21 pm

Steelworkers at Scunthorpe have been given a extra sure future with the arrival of latest uncooked supplies to function British Metal’s blast furnaces, ministers have introduced.

55,000 tonnes of blast furnace coke have arrived within the UK to gasoline the Scunthorpe plant in North Lincolnshire, and a cargo of greater than 66,000 tonnes of iron ore pellets and 27,000 tonnes of iron ore fines are quickly to reach.

The provides will maintain steelmaking at Scunthorpe for the approaching months into the summer season.

Enterprise Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who led the federal government in its take over of the plant, stated: “This authorities is on the facet of British employees and British trade.

“The motion we’ve taken to safe main steelmaking at Scunthorpe won’t solely assist our nationwide safety however assist our metal sector provide the development of the houses and infrastructure of the longer term, as a part of our Plan for Change.

“By securing the uncooked supplies we have to hold Scunthorpe going for the foreseeable future we’ve helped defend 1000’s of essential metal jobs. Now, British Metal employees and their households can breathe a sigh of reduction and know that we’re on their facet.”

The cargo of greater than 55,000 tonnes of blast furnace coke arrived within the port of Immingham from Australia on Saturday aboard the service provider vessel Navios Alegria.

It’ll now be transferred by rail to Scunthorpe.

The cargo of iron ore, within the type of greater than 66,000 tonnes of iron ore pellets and 27,000 tonnes of iron ore fines, is because of arrive from Sweden subsequent week.

It has been paid for by the federal government utilizing the present Division for Enterprise and Commerce funds.

British Metal has in the meantime appointed extra new executives, together with an interim chief working officer and HR director, after ministers handed an emergency regulation to take management of the corporate from Chinese language proprietor Jingye.

Allan Bell, interim chief govt of British Metal stated: “We’ve efficiently secured the uncooked supplies we have to hold the blast furnaces working, that means our manufacturing of metal can proceed.

“We’d not be right here in the present day with out the arduous work and dedication of our specialist procurement, technical and operational groups who’ve labored tirelessly on brief timescales to safe the required uncooked supplies.

“Over the approaching months our focus will probably be on stabilising our operations for the long-term, cementing British Metal as one of many world’s main producers of metal.”

Alasdair McDiarmid, the assistant basic secretary of the Neighborhood Union which represents steelworkers, welcomed the shipments.

He stated: “The upcoming shipments of coke and different uncooked supplies wanted to maintain the blast furnaces working over the months forward present much-needed assurance for our members on website in Scunthorpe.

“We’re grateful to British Metal and the federal government for the decisive work they’ve undertaken to safe a future for the enterprise – now we have seen their dedication and dedication first-hand.

“After years of neglect, we now have a UK authorities which understands the important strategic significance of metal, and is backing this up with motion.”

The most recent cargo comes after British Metal introduced a session on redundancies launched in March can be scrapped.

This has saved 1000’s of jobs on the metal plant.

Press Affiliation