Tata Steel is shutting down Blast Furnace 4 and other related iron and steelmaking facilities at Port Talbot, the largest steel plant in the UK, marking the end of iron production at the site. Many of the existing heavy-end assets, including blast furnaces and coke ovens, have reached the end of their operational lifespan. Maintaining the current setup or investing further in traditional heavy-end processes is no longer economically or environmentally sustainable.
Following the earlier closures of the deep-water harbor, Morfa Coke Ovens, Blast Furnace 5, and Continuous Caster 2, Tata Steel has completed the shutdown of the Sinter Plant, Blast Furnace 4, and primary steelmaking, along with some secondary steelmaking and energy systems.
Steel production will resume in 2027/2028 with a £1.25 billion investment in Electric Arc Furnace technology, using UK-sourced scrap steel. This effort will be supported by a £750 million investment in low-CO2 “green” steelmaking and a recent £500 million Grant Funding Agreement with the UK Government.
Tata Steel is also sharing designs and virtual reality simulations of the new furnace with local communities and plans to announce the equipment manufacturer soon. Some secondary steelmaking assets and two continuous casters will remain for future investments ahead of the electric arc furnace’s launch.