The UK can be a world leader in clean steel production, Labour vowed as the industry faces painful job cuts as part of the drive to lower emissions.
The taxpayer funding will help switch the plant’s two coal-fired blast furnaces to electric arc versions, which can run on zero-carbon electricity.The firm, which employs around 8,000 people across the UK, will also invest about £750 million in the project. A Government spokesman said: “Our commitment to the UK steel sector is clear, including announcing a major package of support on energy costs and recent Government financing to enable greener steel production by Tata Steel at Port Talbot.
A Labour spokesman said: “The UK can be a world leader in clean steel and our long-term programme of investment will safeguard jobs and help us lead the pack, not lag behind our competitors.“We’ll invest in the communities that are at the heart of the future by investing £3 billion over a decade to greening steel across the UK, from Port Talbot, to Rutherglen, to Scunthorpe.
Community’s general secretary Roy Rickhuss said: “It is clear that Labour is on the side of steelworkers, and we need a Keir Starmer-led Labour government that will deliver the investment needed for our industry to thrive.