Tata Steel’s electric arc furnace at its Port Talbot plant received planning permission from the local authorities on February 18.

Tata Steel's application was given the go-ahead on Tuesday morning at a meeting of Neath Port Talbot Council's planning committee. The company closed both of its blast furnaces last year and said they would be replaced by an electric arc furnace, as part of its transition to greener production methods.

Proposals by Tata Steel to build a £1.25bn electric furnace in Port Talbot have been given the go-ahead by a local council. Neath Port Talbot Council’s planning committee on Tuesday approved what amounts to one of the most significant investments made in the UK steel industry in decades.

Tata plans to build a new electric furnace in Port Talbot to replace two traditional blast furnaces.

Port Talbot is set for a new lease of life after plans for Electric Arc Furnace steelmaking were approved today.

The planning application to the Neath Port Talbot Council's Planning Committee sought permission to construct an Electric Arc Furnace, two new Ladle Metallurgy Furnaces for secondary steelmaking, and supporting infrastructure.

The development could begin by the summer of 2025 and follows the decision to shut down the blast furnaces with the loss of thousands of jobs

The transition from conventional blast furnace steelmaking to EAF technology will reduce direct on-site CO₂ emissions by 90%

Tata Steel said it will replace the blast furnaces with electric furnaces to use recycled steel to reduce carbon emissions.