London: Tata Steel Ltd plans to shut down two loss-making blast furnaces at its steelworks in Port Talbot, after last year securing government financing to convert the historic site in Wales into a production hub for recycled steel. The widely expected move comes after it reached a deal with the British government for £500mil in funding to support its transition to making steel in electric arc furnaces. Port Talbot’s blast furnaces and coke ovens are expected to be decommissioned this year, and Tata expects 2,500 roles to be impacted within the next 18 months. Opposition lawmaker Stephen Kinnock, whose constituency Aberavon is home to the Port Talbot steelworks, told Sky News last Friday that the move by Tata was “deeply disappointing”. “We’ve got a plan that’s been cobbled together between Tata Steel and the British government which is going to use £500mil of taxpayers money to make 3,000 men and women redundant,” the Labour Party lawmaker said.
