Historic milestone as ground broken at Port Talbot

A special groundbreaking event took place this week for Tata Steel UK’s state-of-the-art Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) facility in Port Talbot.

The new EAF, set to be commissioned at the end of 2027, is expected to reduce Port Talbot’s carbon emissions by approximately 90%, equivalent to 5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, while securing high-quality sustainable steel production and supporting 5,000 UK jobs directly.

We were appointed by Tata Steel earlier this year as main works contractor under a construction management contract, as part of the company’s £1.25billion investment in low CO2 ‘green’ steelmaking.

Mr Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Steel and the Tata Group; Tata Steel CEO and Managing Director, T. V. Narendran; Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair; and Hector McAlpine, Executive Partner at Sir Robert McAlpine, joined government ministers and members of our project team to officially break ground.

The Port Talbot EAF will be one of the largest in the world, melting UK-sourced scrap steel to produce 3 million tonnes of steel per year. As part of Tata Steel UK’s broader decarbonisation strategy, the project also includes new ladle metallurgy facilities, infrastructure upgrades, and partnerships with leading technology providers such as Tenova, ABB, and Clecim.

We are leading the construction alongside a strong regional supply chain that includes Darlow Lloyd & Sons, Mii, Skelton Thomas, Wernick Buildings, Andrew Scott Ltd and Systems Group.

Paul Bird, Project Director at Sir Robert McAlpine, said: “We are proud to be managing the main, civil, structural and building works required for the construction of this landmark Electric Arc Furnace facility in Port Talbot. It represents not only a major step forward in sustainable steelmaking, but also a powerful example of what can be achieved through collaboration and innovation. 

“Working alongside Tata Steel and our regional partners, we are committed to delivering a world-class project that will benefit communities, industry, and the environment for generations to come.”

Mr Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Steel, said: “This is an important day for Tata Group, Tata Steel and for the UK. Today’s groundbreaking marks not just the beginning of a new Electric Arc Furnace, but a new era for sustainable manufacturing in Britain. At Port Talbot, we are building the foundations of a cleaner, greener future, supporting jobs, driving innovation, and demonstrating our commitment to responsible industry leadership.

"This project is also part of Tata Group’s wider investment in the UK, across steel, automotive, and technology among others, which reflects our deep and enduring partnership with this country.”