UK Government Takes Control, Aims to Sustain Scunthorpe Blast Furnaces

The UK government is urgently working to prevent the shutdown of British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, the last primary steelmaking facility in the country, by securing essential raw materials such as coking coal and iron ore. Following the government’s takeover of the company, a rare weekend recall of Parliament was held to pass emergency legislation aimed at keeping the plant operational. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds expressed confidence in the effort to maintain operations, stressing the importance of steel production for national security and infrastructure projects. Various companies, including Tata and Rainham Steel, have offered support and resources to assist British Steel in this crisis. If the blast furnaces cool down without these supplies, it could lead to irreversible damage and halt steelmaking in Scunthorpe altogether. The government has indicated that securing a steady supply of materials is critical to keeping the furnaces operational and ensuring jobs are maintained.