Mr Chandrasekaran will be joined by Tata Steel CEO and Managing Director T. V. Narendran and Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair, where they will officially break the ground with spades, marking the official start of construction for the UK’s largest low-carbon steelmaking facility. This is part of a £1.25 billion transformation to low CO₂ steelmaking, supported by a £500 million investment from the UK Government.

The new EAF—set to be commissioned at the end of 2027—is expected to reduce Port Talbot’s carbon emissions by approximately 90%, equivalent to 5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, while securing high-quality sustainable steel production and supporting 5,000 UK jobs directly.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Mr Chandrasekaran said: “This is an important day for Tata Group, Tata Steel and for the UK. Today’s groundbreaking marks not just the beginning of a new Electric Arc Furnace, but a new era for sustainable manufacturing in Britain. At Port Talbot, we are building the foundations of a cleaner, greener future, supporting jobs, driving innovation, and demonstrating our commitment to responsible industry leadership. This project is also part of Tata Group’s wider investment in the UK, across steel, automotive, and technology among others, which reflects our deep and enduring partnership with this country.”

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

“This is our Industrial Strategy in action and is great news for Welsh steelmaking backing this crucial Welsh industry, which will give certainty to local communities and thousands of local jobs for years to come.

“This government is committed to a bright future for our steel industry, which is why we provided £500 million of funding to make this project possible. Our modern Industrial Strategy will set out how we’ll back the sector even further to drive growth and create well-paid jobs across the country, as part of our Plan for Change.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

“The UK Government acted decisively to ensure that steelmaking in Port Talbot will continue for generations to come, backing Tata Steel with £500 million to secure its future in the town, along with £80 million to support workers and the wider community. Our Steel Strategy will also deliver £2.5 billion of investment to rebuild the UK industry, maintain jobs and drive growth.

“The construction of Tata’s new furnace realises the promise we made to the community, while the development of floating offshore wind, plans for a Celtic Freeport and millions more for local regeneration all mean that Port Talbot has a bright future.”

First Minister Eluned Morgan said:

“This is a momentous day for heavy industry in Wales, as the electric arc furnace has secured the long-term future of steel making at Port Talbot. Seeing spades in the ground today provides a tangible sign of Tata’s intention to continue producing steel in the area, an industry which has provided quality jobs to local people for generations.

“The start of the construction phase is good news for Port Talbot and neighbouring communities, and I’m especially pleased that Tata has committed to employing local contractors and local workers where it can.”

The Port Talbot EAF will be one of the largest in the world, melting UK-sourced scrap steel to produce 3 million tonnes of steel per year. As part of Tata Steel UK’s broader decarbonisation strategy, the project also includes new ladle metallurgy facilities, infrastructure upgrades, and partnerships with leading technology providers such as Tenova, ABB, and Clecim.

Construction is being led by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, alongside a strong regional supply chain that includes Darlow Lloyd & Sons, Mii, Skelton Thomas, Wernick Buildings, Andrew Scott Ltd and Systems Group.

The groundbreaking reaffirms Tata Steel’s commitment to delivering long-term sustainability, strengthening UK industrial resilience, and ensuring Wales remains at the forefront of green steelmaking.

Notes

·         The groundbreaking event is to be live-streamed on Tata Steel UK’s YouTube channel from around 14:15 GMT (19:45 IST) on Monday, July 14

·         The joint £1.25 billion investment by Tata Steel and the UK Government in green steelmaking at Port Talbot is the biggest in a generation and will not only secure 5000 jobs across Tata Steel UK, but will also reduce the site’s CO2 emissions by 50 million tonnes over the next ten years.

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Recollecting his association with Tata (86) who passed away last week, in a post on networking platform LinkedIn, he wrote, “Anybody who met Mr Tata came away with a story about his humanity, warmth, and dreams for India. There really was no one like him.”

Chandrasekaran, who took over as Chairman of Tata Sons in 2017 after the removal of (late) Cyrus Mistry, said his relationship with late Tata “grew over the years, first focusing on business and eventually evolving into a more personal connection”.

“We discussed interests ranging from cars to hotels, but when our conversations turned to other matters — those of daily life — he would show how much he noticed and felt. He was someone to be discovered, over time and through experience,” he recollected.

Remembering how the late Chairman Emeritus of the group laid emphasis on employee welfare, Chandrasekaran wrote, “Just after I became Chairman, I was introduced to a situation within Tata Motors which involved a dispute between the company and the employees’ union over wages for two years.”

He further noted, in March ’17, Mr Tata and I met the union leaders together. During the meeting, Mr Tata relayed three messages: he regretted the delay in finding a resolution. He explained that the company was going through hardship. And both of us committed that this dispute would be concluded within a fortnight.

According to him, “Mr Tata’s direction squarely focused on making sure employees were well taken care of — not just to resolve the dispute, but to ensure their and their families’ well-being”.

“Across other Group companies, his perspective on employees was uniform. It is something that has shaped a number of our leaders across the Group,” wrote  Chandrasekaran, who was the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) before he became the Chairman of Tata Sons.

Recollecting Tata’s love and care for dogs, Chandrasekaran recollected an instance about renovating the group headquarters “Bombay House” around the same time when the dispute at Tata Motors happened.

“… I expressed a desire to renovate our headquarters, Bombay House. Bombay House had not been touched since 1924, and more important (as many people told me) Mr Tata would not like it. “Bombay House is a temple,” I was told, emphasising its sanctity,” he wrote.

Chandrasekaran recollected when he “finally mentioned to Mr Tata about Bombay House, he (Tata) said, ‘May I ask you something? When you say ‘renovate’, do you mean ‘vacate’?’ I explained that we planned to move everyone to a nearby office.”

Tata wanted to know where the dogs, which were an integral part of Bombay House, often seen at the reception, would go.

Chandrasekaran assured that a kennel would be built for them, to which Tata responded saying ‘Really?’ while considering the proposal.

“When the renovation of Bombay House was complete, Mr Tata wanted to see the kennel first. He was very happy to see how thoughtful the kennel’s design was, and how well the dogs would be cared for,” he noted.

Chandrasekaran further recollected, “Seeing his happiness with the kennel and his priorities was a reminder that while big projects are important, it’s the details that reveal how we think, what we prioritise, and how we are perceived. His joy was confirmation that we had done the right thing.”

According to him, if Tata ever visited a place, he could recall everything — from the placement of (the) smallest piece of furniture, the lighting, colours, and so on.

“His memory was photographic. He remembered the covers and content of books and magazines and referred to them even years later. He was always observing and processing, from large ideas to minute detail,” Chandrasekaran said.

Stating that there is so much else to say about who Tata was, he said, “but for now, as I process his absence, this will have to do: His eye received everything clearly, as his mind perceived everything clearly.”

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