British Steel gets Scunthorpe EAF approval

British Steel’s £1.25bn decarbonisation plan has been given a major boost after it was granted planning permission to build an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) in Scunthorpe.

The company’s application, which was approved by North Lincolnshire Council, follows Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s green light for an EAF at Teesside.

The manufacturer’s proposed £1.25bn transformation – its biggest in more than a century of steelmaking – is subject to appropriate support from the UK Government.

British Steel President and CEO Xijun Cao said: “We’re extremely pleased to have received planning permissions to build Electric Arc Furnaces at our Scunthorpe and Teesside sites. It is a significant step forward in our journey to net zero and we thank everyone who has supported our plans.

“The proposed installation of EAFs in Scunthorpe and Teesside is central to our journey to a green future as they would help us reduce emissions of CO₂ by more than 75 per cent. However, it is crucial we now secure the backing of the UK Government.”

Significant preparation works, including environmental and technical studies, and equipment selection, are underway to ensure the company’s ambitious proposals can be delivered at the earliest opportunity, while discussions with the UK Government continue.

Both proposed EAFs would replace the aging iron and steelmaking operations at British Steel’s Scunthorpe site, which are responsible for the vast majority of its CO₂ emissions. The company proposes maintaining current operations until a transition to electric arc steelmaking.