Raw materials from the US arrive in Immingham as Government races to keep iconic steel plant operational
Vital shipments of coking coal and iron ore are being unloaded at Immingham Docks on Tuesday, as the Government scrambles to keep British Steel’s Scunthorpe blast furnaces operating. The lifeline cargo, sent from the United States, is part of a high-stakes rescue mission to ensure Britain’s last virgin steelmaking site remains functional.
Industry Minister Sarah Jones confirmed on Tuesday that the shipment had been fully paid for, with unloading operations already underway. “There is a ship in Immingham Docks which will be unloading today… that’s unloading from the USA… that’s all paid for,” she told LBC Radio. “There are other deliveries on their way. We bought at the commercial rate.”
Further stockpiles are en route from Australia and Sweden, with additional orders being placed to stabilise the supply chain and keep both of Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces operating. The move comes after the Government seized control of British Steel from Chinese owner Jingye, amid accusations that the company intended to shut the furnaces down.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is expected to visit the Immingham port today as materials from two ships are unloaded and transported to the steelworks in North Lincolnshire. According to the Department for Business and Trade, the American shipment will provide enough raw material to keep the furnaces running for several weeks.
A third vessel, currently on its way from Australia, is carrying more coking coal and iron ore after a legal dispute between the Government and Jingye was resolved. The Government says these deliveries are crucial for maintaining operations at the Scunthorpe plant, which is a major employer and cornerstone of UK heavy industry.
Downing Street has expressed confidence that a “steady pipeline” of materials will now be secured to support ongoing production. “We’re confident we’ll be able to secure the materials needed to keep the site running,” a No 10 spokesperson said. “Work continues at pace to ensure that supply lines are stable.”
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The emergency intervention comes after Jingye was accused of attempting to quietly close the plant, which would have seen the end of primary steelmaking in the UK. In response, Parliament was recalled for an emergency session over the weekend, enabling new legislation to be passed granting the Government power to seize the site.
Minister Sarah Jones said on Tuesday the Government still favours a private sector partner to manage the steelworks but refused to rule out the possibility of another Chinese firm playing a role. “Whatever the future for Scunthorpe, we want to make sure we can keep primary steel-making, we can keep steel-making in our country and we can grow that industry, not see the continued decline that we’ve had over recent years,” she told Sky News.
She warned that allowing the plant to close would have cost the public over £1 billion in remediation and unemployment fallout, saying: “All of these options are of course expensive… but letting it fail would have cost even more.”
China has publicly criticised the UK’s actions, accusing the Government of “politicising” trade and suggesting Chinese firms could pull future investment if not treated “fairly”. However, Downing Street has stood firm, saying talks made it “clear” Jingye intended to shut the blast furnaces. No 10 said it had no evidence of “sabotage” when asked if there were concerns that the owners may have attempted to deliberately force closure.
British Steel has now appointed interim executives as the Government seeks long-term options to secure the future of the Scunthorpe site — a plant with more than 150 years of history at the heart of Britain’s industrial strength.
