Thousands of steel workers face a nightmare before Christmas after it was alleged British Steel accelerated plans to close two blast furnaces as part of a push towards green energy.
Unions claim that replacing heaters at the site in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, could see at least 2,500 workers lose their jobs, in a devastating blow to the local community represented by the Labour Party.
Blast furnaces produce steel by feeding it with fuel made from coal, iron ore and limestone heated to over 1,000C by extremely hot air ‘blasted’ into the furnace. The process produces a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2).
British Steel wants to replace the current method with electric air furnaces (EAF), which work by melting scrap steel with superheated electrodes. Limestone, fluorspar, carbon and oxygen are then added to increase the purity of the steel in a process that produces around 70 per cent less CO2.
But EAF furnaces require far fewer workers to operate and, according to a source who spoke to the Independentwhen the plant in Scunthorpe stops importing coal fuel for its furnaces in October, “that means at least 2,500 jobs will be lost before the end of the year”.
Unions have criticised the decision to close the blast furnaces before the new EAF models are built. The work was due to be completed by December 2025.
GMB union national director Charlotte Brumpton-Childs said: “Unions have been given assurances throughout the process that blast furnace operations would continue during the construction of an electric arc furnace.
“There has been no consultation on an early closure. British Steel and the government must engage with workers immediately to protect jobs and livelihoods.”
There are reports that the steelworks’ Chinese owners are in talks with the government over closure, with a possible deal being struck for British Steel to import three million tonnes of steel from China to keep the plants operating here.
China joins India and effectively becomes one of the nations on which Britain will depend for steel imports.
Britain’s biggest steelmaker in Port Talbot, Wales, will also close two blast furnaces in a move by Indian owners Tata Steel, resulting in the loss of 2,800 jobs.
A British Steel spokesman said: “Our raw material imports continue but have been reduced due to ongoing production issues. We are working to restore production levels from our ageing blast furnaces.
“We are discussing our decarbonisation plans with the government and no final decisions have been made.”