SteelCast S4 E4: Steel scrap – Our future raw material

Tata Steel UK’s electric arc furnace (EAF) will require up to 45,000 tonnes of high-quality, low-impurity steel scrap every week once operational, making Port Talbot one of the UK’s largest steel recyclers. The UK generates around 10–11 million tonnes of steel scrap each year, providing a plentiful domestic supply. However, producing high-quality steel in an EAF requires scrap with very low levels of contaminants, including non-ferrous materials such as copper and chrome, as well as plastics and other impurities. To help secure this supply, Tata Steel UK is working closely with the recycling sector, academia, and the UK and Welsh Governments to explore policy and regulatory reforms that can increase domestic processing capacity, raise quality standards, and maximise the value of the significant volumes of steel scrap available within the UK. Central to these discussions is the introduction of minimum domestic processing standards for steel scrap. Such measures would help retain a valuable resource within the UK, strengthen domestic steelmaking and manufacturing, and support the growth of a more resilient circular economy. In December, Tata Steel UK joined fellow steel producers and representatives from the recycling industry to publish Circular Steel: Strengthening the UK’s Industrial Supply Chain, a report outlining the policy changes needed to unlock the full economic and environmental potential of the UK’s steel scrap resources.