Tata Steel to transfer Port Talbot cold mill staff to Llanwern after fire

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service

TATA Steel is to transfer staff from Port Talbot to a site around 64 km away in Llanwern after fire damaged part of the Port Talbot steelworks’ cold mill earlier this month. 

Fire broke out at a pickle line in the Port Talbot cold mill late on 3 June. No injuries were reported, while the cause of the blaze remains unknown. A trade union reported “substantial damage” to a section of the cold mill. In response, Tata has stepped up operations at Llanwern’s pickle line and plans to restart the site’s cold mill, which is operated flexibly and mothballed at times of low demand. The company is now discussing the temporary transfer of staff with trade unions. 

Although the fire was restricted to one area of the cold mill, Tata shut down the neighbouring hot mill as a precaution. It restarted on 11 June and has been operating continuously since. The company stressed that the hot mill was scheduled for planned maintenance and that there was no overall loss of hot mill production because of the fire. 

Tata said supply is unlikely to be significantly impacted. Tata’s UK CEO Rajesh Nair said he was “confident” in the company’s ability “to continue supporting customers and downstream manufacturers during this period”, adding that the company did not “expect significant market-wide disruption”.

Port Talbot has not produced virgin iron since its last blast furnace ceased operation in September 2024. The hot mill processes imported steel, some of which is subject to further processing at the site’s pickle line and cold mill to make speciality and higher-grade steel.