By Rhodri Morgan
Tata Steel will shutter its coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant this week over concerns of “operational stability”.
In a statement this afternoon, thesteel-making firm, which in January announced the planned closure of the steelworks at the expense of 2,800 jobs, said it will have to increase the imports of coke coal to offset the impact of the closures.
Though 200 jobs are expected to go when the ovens cease firing on Wednesday, though some workers are reportedly going to be employed to help decommission the coal ovens, which create a hard fuel used for blast furnaces known as coke.
The move is not unexpected given the planned wind-down of the plant’s “heavy-end” steel-making assets in favour of using lower-emission Electric Arc furnaces, a transition requiring roughly £1.25bn of investment.
The ovens were scheduled to close in June this year along with blast furnace 5 under Tata’s proposals for the future of the Port Talbot operation, but blast furnace 5 will continue to operate despite the closure with coke imported from elsewhere.
Tata Steel added that it is still undergoing trade union negotiations, which began last month, to try and help manage the exiting workers.
Alun Davies, national officer of steel at the Steelworkers’ Union Community, said: “The early closure of the coke ovens is a massive blow but we knew they have been deteriorating and our number one concern is the safety of our members.
“Tata knows the unions will not accept any compulsory redundancies and we are working to conclude negotiations on an enhanced redundancy and retention package.
“Regretfully the coke ovens were always going to close during the transition period, but once the national consultations conclude we will ballot for industrial action should Tata confirm their intention to close Blast Furnace Number 4.”
