Cranes disappear from the steel town skyline

THE harbour cranes at Port Talbot, a staple of the skyline, are being dismantled as part of ongoing changes to the Tata site. Since the blast furnaces were closed more than a year ago, work has been ongoing at the site for the new electric arc furnace.

- RUTH MOSALSKI

Some iconic structures are set to vanish from the Port Talbot skyline

(JONATHAN MYERS)

‘The switch resulted in thousands of job losses, and construction on the arc furnace began in July and it’s expected to be operational by early 2028. It means the end of steelmaking from raw materials in Wales, and instead, an electric arc furnace will recycle previously-used steel. The scheme will cost £1.25bn - the UK Government has put in £500m, and Tata the rest.

In its planning application for the new arc furnace, Tata Steel said it had lost £4bn in Port Talbot since 2007 and the new furnace would create a “financially and environmentally sustainable” business.