A scheme that includes a new 3 million tonne per annum (Mtpa) electric arc furnace at Port Talbot steelworks has gained planning consent following a detailed planning process, including environmental impact assessments (EIA).
In September 2023, the UK government and Tata Steel UK Limited (Tata Steel) announced a £1.25 billion joint investment in the development of electric arc furnace-based steelmaking at Port Talbot to replace the coal-fired blast furnaces that have been in operation for more than 50 years. The proposals reflect Tata Steel’s long-term commitment to the production of ‘green’, low-carbon steel at Port Talbot, securing the future of steelmaking in the region and making a significant contribution to the achievement of ambitious Welsh and UK government net zero policies.
Data provided in the environmental statement (RSK, 2024) indicate that greenhouse gas emissions avoided with the electric arc furnace compared with the continuation of traditional steelmaking methods are equivalent to nearly 2% of UK and 23% of Wales emissions (2027 equivalent).
RSK Environment Director Rob Edwards, who led the EIA process, said: “Environmental impact assessments are required to support planning applications for major infrastructure projects, ensuring that local councils, communities and consultees understand possible environmental impacts and proposed measures to mitigate these before approving the plans. RSK Environment has coordinated the EIA work as the environmental lead for Tata Steel, working closely with the Tata Steel team, planning consultant Turley, architects Lawray, and Temple Group and JBA Consulting, both of which contributed EIA technical chapters.
“Approval of the planning application is the culmination of more than three years of work from the project team. At its peak, more than 20 specialists from across the business were working on-site at any one time – this has resulted in the submission of more than 250 documents in support of the application, highlighting the scale, complexity and level of detail involved in a planning application and EIA of this nature.”
As part of the EIA, a wide range of information was gathered from site surveys and assessments covering matters such as ground conditions, habitats and species, traffic and noise levels, air emissions, views of the site and population and demographic data. Rob explained: “The EIA team was required to coordinate and present this huge volume of information in the form needed to support the planning application. This involved liaising extensively with Tata Steel, the wider planning team and the local council to identify where mitigation or amendments to the scheme were necessary to overcome identified environmental concerns.”
RSK Group businesses involved in delivering the environmental assessments for the project included Stephenson Halliday (landscape and visual design), RSK Acoustics (noise and vibration), RSK Biocensus (biodiversity), RSK Geosciences (land, soil and groundwater), WRc (peat assessments), Headland Archaeology (cultural heritage), SCP (transport and access), EB7 (lighting assessment) and ADAS (tree surveys). CJ Associates, Ian Farmer Associates and RSK Ordnance Management supported the completion of the ground investigation.
Rob added: “Because of the scale of the planning application boundary – well over 100 hectares – the area covered by the proposed development cannot readily be described as a single ‘site’. It includes land with a wide range of different characteristics, including agricultural land, brownfield land and the existing structures of the steelworks. The EIA needed to reflect this and describe the environmental effects across all parts of the site; these were not always the same across all areas. The relationship with the historic steelworks also added complexity, with the electric arc furnace proposals needing to be considered against the context of those activities and their associated environmental impacts.
“In addition to the greenhouse gas savings, the project will also result in significant reductions of air emissions, as well as reduced road traffic and remediation of previously developed parts of the steelworks. RSK is proud to be associated with a project that delivers so many environmental benefits, while securing the future of steelmaking in Port Talbot and Wales”.
The planning proposals allow for green infrastructure and re-landscaping of the surrounding site to deliver ‘biodiversity net benefit’ in line with Welsh national planning policy. This will involve a range of ecological enhancements and landscaping measures focused on the southern end of the site, which is generally the most visible to the public. This will include new areas of wetland, scrub and grassland. Rob said: “In advising Tata Steel on how it may address all environmental questions raised in the assessments, particular focus was given to biodiversity enhancements. This is reflective of the fact that the steelworks comprise a very large area of land with a wide range of opportunities for enhancement and linkage with other habitats in the local area, particularly the Margam Moors site of special scientific interest to the south”.
Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK, said: “We are very pleased to have secured approval to build sustainable steelmaking facilities in Port Talbot. This £1.25 billion investment is the most significant investment made in the UK steel industry in decades. The facility will secure high-quality steel production, preserve thousands of jobs and safeguard steelmaking in Port Talbot for generations to come.”
Natalie Young, Head of Legal – Property at Tata Steel UK, added: “You cannot overstate the importance of robust and credible EIAs in such complex submissions, and having the expertise of RSK was critical in the success of the application.”
Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
