SteelCast is a podcast from Tata Steel's UK communications team featuring conversations with leaders and workers at Tata Steel sites across the United Kingdom. It explores current conditions and challenges facing the UK steel industry. Episodes discuss what these developments mean for the business, its workforce, and the wider steel sector.
Episodes
SteelCast S4 E5: Inside Project Invictus: Transforming the Hot Mill and building a new Pickle Line
The transformation of Port Talbot is about much more than the construction of a new Electric Arc Furnace.
In our latest Project Invictus update, we join Andrew McGregor, Programme Lead for the Mills, to see how work is progressing across two major parts of the programme – the Hot Mill and the new Pickle Line.
At the Hot Mill, teams are carrying out extensive enabling works around a mill that conti
SteelCast S4 E4: Steel scrap – Our future raw material
Tata Steel UK’s electric arc furnace (EAF) will require up to 45,000 tonnes of high-quality, low-impurity steel scrap every week once operational, making Port Talbot one of the UK’s largest steel recyclers. The UK generates around 10–11 million tonnes of steel scrap each year, providing a plentiful domestic supply. However, producing high-quality steel in an EAF requires scrap with very low levels
SteelCast S4 E3: The Steel Trade Battle - Why New Tariffs Matter for Britain
What are steel tariffs and quotas, and why do they matter to the future of UK manufacturing? In this episode of Steel Cast, recorded outside the Houses of Parliament, host Tim Rutter is joined by Vlad Darahan, Head of International Trade at Tata Steel UK, to unpack the new UK and EU steel trade measures introduced on 1 July. They discuss what tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) actually are, why they were i
SteelCast S4 E2: One Year of Transformation - Port Talbot's Electric Arc Furnace Project Update
One year after we first documented the transformation of the Port Talbot steelworks site, significant progress has been made in preparation for Tata Steel UK's new Electric Arc Furnace.
Join Peter Jones as he takes us around the site, showcasing the major milestones achieved over the last 12 months. See how one of the UK's largest industrial transformation projects is moving from vision to reality
SteelCast S4 E1: A new era begins for British steelmaking
A new era for British steelmaking starts here.
We officially broke ground on our new Electric Arc Furnace at Port Talbot — the heart of our £1.25 billion transformation towards low-emission steelmaking.
In this special episode, host Tim Rutter speaks to some of the suppliers, contractor partners and project managers who are working together as one team to deliver this transformational project — ca
SteelCast S3 E38: Sun-powered steel – inside Catnic’s solar roofing breakthrough
Solar power that blends in beautifully? Yes, please!
In this episode of #SteelCast, we explore the launch of Catnic SolarSeam – a sleek, UK-made bonded solar solution built for modern homes and sustainable construction.
Developed by Caerphilly-based business, Catnic - part of Tata Steel UK - SolarSeam combines flexible CIGS solar tech with Catnic Urban standing seam roofing.
It’s efficient, low-pr
SteelCast S3 E37: Rolling, rolling, rolling! Port Talbot's multi-million pound Mills makeover
Our £1.25 billion green steelmaking journey goes way beyond our Electric Arc Furnace...
A significant and critical part of the investment is also being spent on extending the life of Port Talbot’s Hot Rolling Mill and investing in a brand new Pickle Line.
These upgrades will ensure the low-CO₂ steels from our Electric Arc Furnace are processed as effectively as possible before going for further
SteelCast S3 E36: Step inside Port Talbot's £1.25 billion megaproject
Step inside the future of green steelmaking at Port Talbot . . .
Join host Tim Rutter and EAF & Casters Programme Manager Peter Jones for an exclusive, all-access tour of the £1.25 billion transformation set to reshape Port Talbot.
From the rail head to the scrap storage area, through the path of the new steel conveyor, and into the space where a state-of-the-art 3.2 million tonne electric ar
SteelCast S3 E35: Tom Evans talks Trump and tariffs
In a week in which Donald Trump announced tariffs on steel, the UK Government launched its Plan for Steel, and Tata Steel UK gained planning approval to build its 3 million-tonnes-a-year Electric Arc Furnace, SteelCast talks to Head of Public Affairs, Tom Evans about the company’s policy asks of government. In front of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster,
Tom talks tariffs and Trump, examines
Episode 34: Shaping the UK Government’s steel strategy
Steelcast host Tim Rutter spoke to a number of key participants at a recent UK Steel-hosted parliamentary event in Westminster, which discussed the issues that the sector feels are so important in shaping the UK Government’s forthcoming steel strategy.
Tata Steel UK Director of Comms and Chair of UK Steel, Martin Brunnock talks us through the event as we hear from UK Steel Director General, Garet
Episode 33: Everything you need to know about the steel industry right now (part 2) – Live from UK Metals Expo 2024
The UK Metals Expo 2024 was the third consecutive year the whole of the UK metals industry came together under one roof at Birmingham’s NEC.
Join Tata Steel UK’s Tim Rutter, Abi Thomas and Gareth Brookes as they catch up with industry experts to talk about the big topics around steel, its people and the path to a greener future.
Topics covered in part two are the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechani
Episode 32: Everything you need to know about the steel industry right now (part 1) – Live from UK Metals Expo 2024
The UK Metals Expo 2024 was the third consecutive year the whole of the UK metals industry came together under one roof at Birmingham’s NEC.
Join Tata Steel UK’s Tim Rutter, Abi Thomas and Gareth Brookes as they catch up with industry experts to talk about the big topics around steel, its people and the path to a greener future.
Topics covered in part one are the transition from blast furnace
Episode 31: Fail to plan, plan to fail
As the company transitions to low CO2 steelmaking, the £1.25 billion investment over the coming three years inevitably involves things to be built, extended and modified on site – not least the electric arc furnace itself.
The complex and in-depth planning process has been worked upon for months, with the aim of being submitted in November 2024 and the hope of getting spades in the ground in the
Episode 30: £1million to develop steel platforms for Floating Offshore Wind
A Wales-centred industrial collaboration led by Swansea-based Marine Power Systems has been awarded nearly £1 million of innovation funding.
The project is to develop the use of low CO2 steels from Tata Steel’s Port Talbot site to build platforms for floating offshore wind structures and strengthen local supply chains.
Tim Rutter speaks to Kamal Rajput of Tata Steel UK and Dr Graham Foster, chai
Episode 29: From ski bum to steel industry pioneer in one (not so) easy lesson
As Tata Steel UK moves forward on its journey to net zero with the proposed implementation of electric arc furnace steelmaking in Port Talbot, host Tim Rutter speaks to one of the pioneers of the mini-mill concept in the USA, Mark Millett.
Mark is Chairman and Chief Executive of Steel Dynamics Inc., a 16 million tonnes metals business that was founded in 1993; he was instrumental in developing th
Episode 28: A new beginning for the steel industry
Two weeks after Tata Steel announced its proposal to restructure the UK business, enabling it to transition to scrap-based ‘green’ steelmaking, SteelCast host Tim Rutter speaks to Global CEO and MD of Tata Steel, TV Narendran.
Two years and 27 episodes after the first SteelCast podcast started discussing the challenges and opportunities of decarbonising the steel industry, the topic is as relevan
Episode 27: Time to ACT for transformation
While Tata Steel has proposed the technology route it will take from the crossroads it found itself at, the construction industry is facing similar difficult choices.
Until now, the construction industry has designed to build, but for a sustainable future it must keep deconstruction and reuse in mind. Can Tata Steel’s Building Systems UK offer sustainable solutions as well as innovative products
Episode 26: Steel has a vital role to play in a future green economy
The Climate Change Committee’s Senior Analyst for Industrial Decarbonisation, Michael Lord, recently visited Tata Steel’s Port Talbot steelworks with some colleagues to see first-hand the current integrated steelmaking process and to hear about the challenges and opportunities of decarbonising one of Britain’s most important industry.
In talking to host, Tim Rutter, Michael spoke about the role o
Episode 25: Collaboration is key (Live from the UK Metals Expo)
Two days before Tata Steel announced a proposal to decarbonise its UK operations with support from the UK Government, SteelCast visited the UK Metals Expo. Metal suppliers, manufacturers, customers and competitors alike came together under the same roof and one thing was clear… we’re not going to get far without each other.
What will decarbonisation look like for the UK steel industry? Can we dec
Episode 24: What do we want? UK steel. When do we want it? NOW! (Live from the London march)
Hundreds of steel workers from across the UK came together to march upon Westminster and demand that the Government invests in the steel industry.
Led by Community, Unite and GMB trades unions, their demands were for the Government to create a level playing field with competitors on energy costs, to invest capital in new green technologies, and to stop imports of cheap carbon-intensive steel.
In
Episode 23: Wales can be at the heart of a new industrial revolution
New CEO of Net Zero Industry Wales, Ben Burggraaf, returns to his former workplace, Tata Steel’s integrated steelworks at Port Talbot, to talk about the huge opportunities that he believes exist for industries and society in Wales on the journey to net zero carbon.
Ben visits the blast furnaces to talk about the new industrial revolution being promised by renewable energy, and takes a look acros
Episode 22: 10,000 days to reach net zero!
In this episode we talk to Professor Jon Gibbins, Centre Director of the UK CCS Research Community Network Plus at Sheffield University about the potential for Carbon Capture and Storage as a solution to the net zero challenge for energy intensive industries such as steel, and the UK’s potential role as a demonstrator economy rather than a country that simply adopts the latest technology that othe
Episode 21: A SEISMIC change for construction
The SEISMIC demonstrator building at the Building Research Establishment in Watford has been described as the Henry Ford moment for the construction industry. Not only is it bringing standardisation and collaboration to modern methods of construction, but designs predicated on clever, modern steel solutions make buildings that are not only quicker and easier to construct, but also sustainable, ene
Episode 20: Building towards net zero (part 2)
We caught up with more of the speakers from the Construction Summit 2023 to talk about some of the wider sustainability issues for the sector such as skills and people. We also get a snapshot of the industry beyond 2030 and speak to two of the keynote speakers Tata Steel’s CCO Anil Jhanji and UK Government’s Fergus Harradence.
Episode 19: Building towards net zero (part 1)
The central themes at the Tata Steel and Constructing Excellence sponsored “Construction Summit 2023” were sustainability and climate change.
With the great and the good of the UK construction industry speaking, listening and networking, it was an ideal opportunity to talk to some of the industry’s makers and shakers about the progress being made and the role of materials such as steel in the pa
Episode 18: A wholly positive alliance
With lots of January news headlines talking about decarbonising the UK steel industry, SteelCast host Tim Rutter speaks to industry expert Roz Bulleid, Research Director of independent think tank and charity, Green Alliance about the best ways forward for manufacturing industries and governments to work hand in hand to make a significant impact on climate change.
Episode 17: A responsible approach to decarbonising steel
Following Tata Steel UK’s recent announcement to pursue accreditation for its Port Talbot site to global standards organisation, ‘ResponsibleSteel’, podcast host Tim Rutter spoke to their CEO Annie Heaton to understand a bit more about what is involved.
Episode 16 : “Steel can be a decarbonisation provider”
In this SteelCast mini-series, Tata Steel’s host, Tim Rutter, talked to a variety of industry experts who presented at the UK Metals Expo.
In this episode, he caught up with Professor Cameron Pleydell-Pearce, Tata Steel sponsored lecturer at Swansea University, who not only shared a stand at MetalsExpo representing the Sustain initiative alongside the Transforming Foundation Industries network, bu
Episode 15 “The circle of life: infinitely recyclable steel”
As a postscript to this latest Steelcast mini-series about decarbonisation from UK Metals Expo, Tata Steel’s host, Tim Rutter, popped next door to the Recycling and Waste Management exhibition, where Tata Steel also had a stand being manned by our very own Packaging Recycling team from Trostre in West Wales.
In this episode, Tim caught up with Manager Steel Packaging Recycling Nicola Jones as well
Episode 14: “A commitment to Science Based Targets”
In this latest Steelcast mini-series about decarbonisation, Tata Steel’s host, Tim Rutter, talks to a variety of industry experts who were present at the first ever UK Metals Expo.
In this episode, Tim caught up with Tata Steel UK’s Chief Commercial Officer, Anil Jhanji who had just announced in his speech to the conference that the company’s Port Talbot site is to pursue accreditation to Responsi
Episode 13: Matthew Teague, Tata Steel “Buildings as kits of parts”
We are back at the UK Metals Expo in this instalment of the podcast, where Tim is joined by Tata Steel colleague and Senior architect Matthew Teague, to help us to understand the current and future demands of the construction sector.
Episode 12: Jonathan Sochart, National Tube Stockholders “What are your credentials for green steel?”
In this latest Steelcast mini-series, Tata Steel’s host Tim Rutter, continues his conversations with industry experts about decarbonisation.
We are back at the UK Metals Expo in this instalment of the podcast, where Tim is joined by Tata Steel customer Jonathan Sochart, Commercial Director of National Tube Stockholders, who shares how the supply chain is pressure to move towards net zero product
Episode 11 Gareth Stace at UK Metals Expo “What can the new Government do for steel?”
In this latest Steelcast mini-series, Tata Steel’s host Tim Rutter continues his conversations with industry experts about decarbonisation.
Recorded live at the first-ever UK Metals Expo, he welcomes a variety of manufacturers, processors and industry bodies who share their latest developments and innovations.
In this first episode, Tim is joined by long-time friend of the podcast, UK Steel’
Episode 10: “A modern manufacturing renaissance”
In this week’s episode we speak to Stephen Kinnock MP about not only the importance of steel to local communities, but also as a foundation industry to the UK economy. He shares his thoughts about the importance and challenges of decarbonisation and says the Labour party would support a technology transition financially and legislatively as part of an industrial strategy.
Episode 9: “Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create”
Tata Steel’s Shotton site has this year launched a sustainability commitment with four key themes: Reducing the site’s carbon footprint; Developing and producing products and services that support sustainable construction; Protecting and expanding the site’s biodiversity; and maximising material efficiency and achieving zero onsite waste.
Episode 8: Build me up buttercup
Recorded live at Grand Designs Live, ExCel London 2022!
We talk to Phil Bagnall, Managing Director of Matrix Structures about their new partnership with Tata steel brand Catnic about the benefits of offsite modular construction for domestic properties, not just in cost and speed of build but also for the environment, too.
Episode 7: It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it
We talk with Dr Chris Williams, Head of Industrial Decarbonisation for Industry Wales about how businesses in different sectors are coming together with government and academia to create geographical clusters for capturing and distributing energy and industrial gases.
Episode 6: The will and the way
We catch up with Director General of Trade Association UK Steel, Gareth Stace, to talk about the challenges of ensuring favourable policies on topics such as energy and industrial strategy, and how decarbonising energy-intensive industries relies on having a supportive political framework.
Episode 5: School of thought
Host Tim Rutter is joined by Dr Sumitesh Das, Director of Research & Development for Tata Steel UK, and Professor Dave Worsley, Head of Materials Science and Engineering at Swansea University to talk about how industry and academia can work hand-in-hand to solve some of society’s most pressing issues such as decarbonisation. “It is the very act of something not being possible that drives R&D”, say
Episode 4: You pays your money and you takes your choice
Tata Steel UK’s Manager of Process Technology, Richie Hart, guides listeners through the various technology choices available to the world’s steel industry, and the relative benefits and drawbacks of each.
He also talks about the choices governments have to make about industrial supply chains, the dangers of offshoring carbon responsibility and the cost impact on consumers of a ‘polluter pays’ pri
Episode 3: Push-me-pull-you
Tata Steel UK’s Marketing Director Russell Codling joins host, Tim Rutter, to explain that it’s not just pressure being brought to bear by legislators and environmentalists that is driving decarbonisation in the steel industry, but customers too. And Russell reveals another fascinating stakeholder that may be the most powerful of the lot!
Episode 2: Part of the problem or part of the solution?
Today's guest is Tata Steel UK’s Manager, Process Optimisation (Energy & Environment), Paul Wheeler, who explains how steel is essential in the modern world, how carbon is an essential element in current steelmaking technologies, and the huge changes already made to reduce the material’s environmental footprint throughout the supply chain.
Episode 1: Don’t mention the C word
In the latest series of Steelcast, Tata Steel’s host Tim Rutter talks to a variety of experts about climate change, sustainability and decarbonisation in the steel industry.
In this first episode his guest is Tata Steel UK’s Head of Climate Change Policy & Strategy, Pete Quinn, who goes back to the basics and asks ‘Just what is so bad about Carbon?’
As ready as we can be
Tata Steel’s Director for Strategic Business Development, Deirdre Fox, recalls the incredible amount of work that has taken place across Tata Steel Europe, with customers, suppliers, peers and governments in preparation for the separation of the UK and EU on 1 January 2021.
While there is a ground-rush of preparations to oversee in the next 60 days, we discover that the journey is far from over
Rolling with the punches
Chief Technical Officer for Tata Steel Europe, Ernst Hoogenes, reflects on the many challenges steelworkers have faced and overcome since the start of the pandemic, and talks of his confidence in the steel family to adapt again and make the very best of any upturn that the steel markets might provide in the coming quarters.
A monumental effort
Executive Director HR, Tor Farquhar talks about the journey that Tata Steel’s people have been on during the pandemic, the monumental efforts that they have made, and the challenges of ‘Our New Workplace’, both from a physical and a people perspective.
The nuts and bolts of recovery
Construction Marketing Manager Paul White shares his experiences of dealing with the ups and downs of the pandemic for the Tata Steel’s largest market sector.
High-value, branded products have again proved their worth, but the sector is changing faster than ever—some of that as a result of the pandemic and the lifestyle changes that are resulting from it.
Not quite in top gear yet
Sector Head Automotive Kevin Edgar tells the tale of how steel demand for the automotive supply chains fell off a cliff in March, how the sector is recovering and changing, and the challenges it still faces from the pandemic and Brexit.
Paddling hard
Tata Steel’s Head of Safety, Health & Environment Governance, Ian Russon, tells the story of how experts from across the company have helped to steer it through difficult waters over recent months, and what comes next in preparing for a new kind of normality.
Robots and recovery
35% of the UK’s steel is consumed within a 30 mile radius of Tata Steel’s Distribution UK & Ireland business headquarters in Wolverhampton, from where Director Malcolm Boyles joins SteelCast. We discover that with local supply chains, high-value products, and short lead-times the business could be amongst the earliest to see some recovery.
So Good, So Good, So Good
When a shift team from Port Talbot’s Cold Mill decided they wanted to show their appreciation for the NHS and frontline care workers, they never believed their version of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline would go viral. With the song and dance routine already having reached more than 600,000 people on Facebook, SteelCast chatted with some of those who made it happen.
Piping hot!
A stagnant oil & gas sector and a stymied infrastructure building programme isn’t stopping Works Manager Andrew Ward and his team looking to a bright future with a technically-advanced operation, a driven workforce, iconic projects and loyal customers. What’s not to love about Tata Steel’s Hartlepool 20” Pipe Mill?
Some things you can’t put a price on
Tata Steel’s UK Director of Procurement Joanne Lane tells how her team are working night and day to keep people safe and the industry running by scouring the world for everything from fluxes to facemasks and gases to gloves; even finding time to support hospitals and care homes across the country with much-needed PPE.
Our friends eclectic – Corby’s Tube army
Tata Steel’s Corby Works Manager, Gary Blackman tells how the site’s workforce and community is pulling together in adversity to keep supplying tubes and hollow sections for a huge variety of end uses including emergency care units and even hospital beds.
Foundations for the future
Tata Steel’s Shotton site lead Bill Duckworth talks about how the lessons currently being learned around agility, flexibility and authentic communications could set the company up to perform even better once the world recovers and operates in a new kind of normal.
Spilling the beans
Tata Steel’s Trostre Works Manager, Joe Gallacher tells how the West Wales tinplate plant is supporting the national effort, max-ing out steel production for can-makers as the nation fills its cupboards with canned food and drinks.
Calm seas don’t make skilled sailors
This morning Tim Rutter spoke to Hub Director Martin Brunnock about how the business is navigating its way through turbulent times.
Listen to the podcast here.
