Port Talbot: steel town braces for shutdown of its last blast furnace

Closure to make way for greener electric arc furnace deals heavy blow to local people and ends ability to make virgin steel'

The steel town of Port Talbot is braced for the shutdown of the final furnace at its plant on Monday which will result in heavy job losses and deal a devastating blow to communities in south Wales.

Tata Steel has begun the process of winding down operations at blast furnace 4 at Port Talbot and engineers have already started altering the raw materials poured into the top of the furnace to prepare for decommissioning. Blast furnace 5 was closed in July.