, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Trade Unions
You talked about the options being unclear, Shavanah, in terms of what should we be upskilling our workforce for in the future. What's your assessment of the coherence of the clean growth plan of the south Wales industrial cluster, because they talk about a…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Trade Unions
So, you think all the blockages on this modernisation is just the absence of the Treasury opening up its purse.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Trade Unions
It is, but you are obviously involved.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Trade Unions
But what about the diversification that Tata could be doing on its own land? Why are we not seeing huge arrays of renewable energy popping up next door to where the steel production operations are happening? Because that's a way of them generating their own…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Trade Unions
Thank you. We need to have buy-in from the Treasury. It seems you've got a plan, but the Treasury's not bought into it yet. And we've also got to have a plan for decarbonising oil and gas, both because of the prices and because of the climate emergency…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Trade Unions
I just wanted to pick up on what Alasdair was saying about how things were going well in terms of having a decarbonisation plan with Kwasi Kwarteng as the industry Minister. I appreciate that the monthly discussions are no longer happening; what happened to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Well, I'm just seeking some indication of what it is that actually needs to change. We've talked a lot about the obstacles to change, but is it entirely based on the UK Government having a change of policy?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Okay, but this matter just simply hasn't had the attention it deserves. You're the largest emitter of carbon emissions in the UK bar none, and we simply haven't seen the pace of change needed. I'm appreciating that you're not the only player in this, but…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Right, we've got that.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
I just—. If we continue along the current trajectory, we are going to see carbon emissions being exported and massive job losses. So, what are the top three priorities for you to get us to where we need to be, in terms of decarbonising our industry and having…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Okay. So, when is it likely to lead to any electricity being generated on this legacy land?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
But why weren't you analysing this 10 or 15 years ago?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Okay. What I'm struggling to understand is why this hasn't happened already, because it's self-evident that you need this energy. Is it the grid that's the main obstruction?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
You say your analysis is ongoing for using this legacy land to generate energy. Could you just explain to us why you haven't accelerated this process, because you clearly are always going to need a very large amount of energy?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Okay. I don't detect that there is the urgency here, given (a) the climate emergency and (b) your business case for changing now.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
If everything goes according to plan, can Wales produce enough hydrogen to meet your needs as well as some of the other applications for green hydrogen, in looking at all these players in south Wales?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
So, how much is—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
So, where are we at in your negotiations with the UK Government? Is this around the grid, or is it the direct investment that you require to make more of a shift towards electric arc production?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Okay. So, this is something that the First Minister is pursuing vigorously with the UK Government. Presumably, this is something you're also raising in your negotiations with the UK Government, because this is—. It's no use developing this offshore wind if we…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Okay, so they're not directly going to be assisting you on decarbonising your operations. Okay. To what extent is the uncertainty around the new technologies that need to be used to decarbonise the steel industry impacting on the progress that you're…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Okay. But, clearly, all these integrated parts—we won't reap the benefits from the offshore wind industry if we don't generate the steel that they need within south Wales, and we won't reduce the carbon emissions by bringing them from the other side of the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
We need to focus on how this is enabling you to develop the important relationships with energy generators—clean energy generators.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Yes, I was at it.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Decarbonisation of the steel industry in South Wales - evidence session with Tata Steel
Thanks very much. I just wanted to go a little bit more into the detail about what you're doing at the moment, and some of the things you're doing with partners. You've already told us that you're reusing redundant steel, 17 per cent, and you're also…
