Tata Steel to invest further £4.5 million in South Yorkshire operations

Tata Steel is investing a further £4.5 million (Rs35 crore) this year at its South Yorkshire operations in the UK, to improve their reliability and energy efficiency.

The investment is over and above the £20 million (Rs157 crore) that it has already invested last year.

"Tata Steel is investing a further GBP 4.5 million in its South Yorkshire operations to improve the plant's reliability and energy efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions and boost the production of high-value steel products," the company said in a statement.

The Mumbai-based steelmaker is investing in four separate improvement projects across its South Yorkshire operations, three in Rotherham and the other at its Stocksbridge site.

It will invest £1 million in new quality inspection equipment at Thrybergh Bar Mill, Rotherham, £2 million to enhance fume extraction at Rotherham steelmaking plant, £0.5 million to improve steelmaking in Rotherham and £1 million to upgrade a re-heating furnace in Stocksbridge.

Tata Steel Europe expects to save 19,000 mega watt hours (MWh) that could potentially power 4,000 homes. In Stocksbridge alone, the company will reduce gas consumption of more than 10,000 MWh every year, reducing CO2 emissions by 2,000 tonnes and saving £250,000 a year.
 
Mark Broxholme, managing director of Tata Steel's speciality steels business, said: ''These investments will not only improve the energy efficiency and reliability of our operations in South Yorkshire, they will also reduce our impact on the environment and boost production of some of our high-value products for the automotive industry.

Tata Steel produces steel at its Aldwarke-based steelworks in Rotherham. The steel then undergoes further processing and refining at the company's Stockbridge plant or the Thrybergh Bar Mill in Rotherham.