STORY
The UK government has confirmed the arrival of a crucial shipment of over 55,000 tonnes of blast furnace coke at Immingham Bulk Terminal. Sourced from Bluescope Steel’s plant in Australia, this delivery is essential for maintaining operations at British Steel’s Scunthorpe facility. The coke, transported by the MV Navios Alegria, will be transferred by rail to Scunthorpe, ensuring the continued operation of both blast furnaces in the coming months. An additional shipment comprising more than 66,000 tonnes of iron ore pellets and 27,000 tonnes of iron ore fines from Sweden is expected next week, funded directly by the government through existing Department for Business and Trade budgets.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds emphasised the strategic importance of this move:
“The action we’ve taken to secure primary steelmaking at Scunthorpe will not only support our national security but help our steel sector supply the construction of the homes and infrastructure of the future, as part of our Plan for Change.”
British Steel’s Interim CEO, Allan Bell, acknowledged the efforts of the company’s teams:
“We’ve successfully secured the raw materials we need to keep the blast furnaces running, meaning our production of steel can continue.”
The Community union’s Assistant General Secretary, Alasdair McDiarmid, also expressed appreciation for the government’s intervention, noting the assurance it provides to workers at the Scunthorpe site. This development follows the government’s recent actions to stabilise British Steel, including the appointment of new interim leadership and the conclusion of a staff redundancy consultation initiated by the company’s owners, Jingye Group. The continued operation of the Scunthorpe blast furnaces secures approximately 3,000 jobs and reinforces the UK’s commitment to sustaining its domestic steel production capabilities.