A special planning meeting will discuss British Steel’s plans for an electric arc furnace at its Scunthorpe steelworks.
North Lincolnshire Council has announced a special meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 30, at 2pm at Church Square House, Scunthorpe, on just British Steel’s application.
The company that employs over 3,000 people at the Scunthorpe site proposes to replace its coke blast furnaces with an environmentally friendlier electric arc furnace (EAF). Unions have expressed fears over job losses.
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Council leader Cllr Rob Waltham said: “The council’s planning committee will discuss the application for an electric arc furnace at a special meeting next week. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual planning applications, the process is independent of my role.
“The council, along with local MP Holly Mumby-Croft, are continuing to work with the Government to protect jobs and steel making in Scunthorpe.” Cllr Waltham referenced ambitions for an advanced manufacturing park on disused steelworks land. This was announced by the council the same November day as British Steel signalled its furnace intentions.
“We are continuing to work with British Steel to develop 300-acres of surplus land at the steelworks to harness new technology and create green jobs. Master planning is underway to attract high-paid and high-skilled jobs to the area – using new technologies to create green industry.
“There is a massive opportunity to create something new, attracting innovative technology companies here to Scunthorpe on an underdeveloped site of industrial heritage. At the same time as working on this plan we continue to do all we can to protect jobs on the Scunthorpe site.”
(Image: British Steel)
British Steel intends to replace Scunthorpe’s coke blast furnaces with one EAF at its steelworks, and another in Teesside. It has already been granted planning permission for the new Teesside furnace. The £1.25bn plan aims to achieve longer-term sustainability and meet net zero carbon goals.
An application document has indicated British Steel anticipate the Scunthorpe EAF to be operational by December 2025. The blast furnaces would remain in use until Scunthorpe’s EAF is fully operational.
Unions have previously warned of four-figure job losses at Scunthorpe if the plan proceeds. The EAF application states the Scunthorpe site employs 3,230 people, currently. In “proposed employees” for after the proposed application, the form’s boxes are blank.
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An EAF re-uses scrap steel to create new material. It reduces the demand for raw materials. The closure of the blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, though, will result in the UK losing the ability to make virgin steel.
British Steel recently won a major Egypt rail contract, to produce 9,500 tonnes of track, for the country’s first fully electrified mainline and freight network. It is being produced at the Scunthorpe site.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
