Rotherham's position as UK’s biggest steel recycling location 'key to post-Brexit challenge'

Top figures from the steel and engineering sectors gathered at Liberty Speciality Steels, where Prince Charles reignited the large electric arc furnace in February.

This gave the former Tata site the largest steel recycling capacity in the country — and Liberty hosted the Greensteel conference there on May 17.

Greensteel is a new low-carbon technique of making steel using recycled scrap and renewable energy. And it is hoped a more sustainable steel production will put the country back at the forefront of a global industry it once dominated.

Jay Hambro, chief investment officer of British-owned global energy group the GFG Alliance — which includes Liberty — said the method would be vital in revitalising the country’s manufacturing economy.

He said: “Greensteel is the way of the future and it’s an opportunity we can’t afford to waste if we want to rebuild metals and engineering as profitable and sustainable sectors, supporting many thousands of skilled British jobs.”

Mr Hambro called for the Government to be more proactive in encouraging investment in renewable energy capacity to benefit the UK supply chain.

Julian Allwood, professor of engineering and environment at the University of Cambridge, presented research findings showing how the UK metals sector can become more sustainable.

He highlighted the predicted growth in the supply of UK scrap steel from ten million to 20 million tonnes a year and argued that the country could meet its future needs by recycling more scrap at home rather than exporting for melting abroad.

Prof Allwood said better designed metal products would also cut waste during manufacturing, helping to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

Liberty House and SIMEC, which is another GFG Alliance company, are developing plans for five million tonnes of Greensteel production in five years and one gigawatt of renewable power by 2020.

The conference was chaired by UK Steel Director Gareth Stace and addressed by shadow steel minister Gill Furniss; Rotherham MP Sarah Champion; Niall McKenzie of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; and Ed Heath-Whyte, Liberty’s environment and energy manager.