Live updates as thousands of job losses poised to be announced at Tata Port Talbot steelworks - reports

The UK Government is expected to announce huge job cuts at Tata's Port Talbot plant tomorrow in a statement which is likely to set the wheels in motion for the decarbonisation of steelmaking at the site through installation of electric arc furnaces. The agreement would see the Westminster administration provide £500m in financial support alongside a commitment of £700m from Tata, but it is expected to be accompanied by thousands of job cuts.

Multiple sources have told WalesOnline's sister title, The Mirror, that an announcement is due on the future of the plant on Friday, September 15. The UK Government hopes the cash injection will help the company switch from blast furnaces to greener electric arc furnaces (EAF).

According to the Mirror, it will be announced at the same time that at least 2,000 jobs are set to be lost as part of the deal. The plant directly employs around 4,000 workers. With its downstream operating, including at Shotton and Trostre in Wales, Tata employs 8,000 in the UK. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.

A government source has told the Mirror: "The blast furnaces are ready to run down and if we didn’t step in it would be 8,000 job losses - that shows what the alternative is to what we are doing." As reported by WalesOnline's business editor here, a phased moved to arc furnaces - which would recycle steel - would require several thousand fewer staff than are currently employed under the fossil-fuel-powered blast furnace steelmaking operation in Port Talbot.

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