Raw materials secured by the government will be transported to British Steel’s last remaining blast furnaces in Scunthorpe on Tuesday to keep them burning.
The Government has taken control of the company and is facing a race against time to deliver the materials, including coking coal and iron ore, which are in short supply at the steel works in North Lincolnshire.
In most cases if the furnaces run out of the materials they are unable to be restarted. Even its temperature dropping too low can cause permanent damage.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will visit the port in Immingham, which is also in North Lincolnshire, as supplies from two ships are unloaded and transported to the plant.
Mr Reynolds said: “We will always act in the interest of working people and UK industry. Thanks to the work of those at British Steel, and in my department, we have moved decisively to secure the raw materials we need to help save British Steel.
“Our industries depend on UK steel and – thanks to our Plan for Change – demand is set to shoot up: helping build the 1.5 million homes, railways, schools and hospitals we need to usher in a decade of national renewal.”
The materials, sent from the US, are enough to keep the furnaces running for weeks, the Department for Business and Trade said, adding that they have been paid for out of its existing budget.
square POLITICS ExclusiveUK facing 'countdown clock' to get fuel to British Steel plant
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It comes after Downing Street said the Government was “confident” it would be able to secure the products necessary to keep the site running, and that work was ongoing to get a “steady pipeline” of materials.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said ministers were now “confident” of securing the raw materials to keep the blast furnaces burning at Scunthorpe as she visited the plant yesterday.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said the UK would continue with its “consistent, long-term and strategic” approach to China, which has included a warming of relations and several ministerial visits under Labour.
A third ship with coking coal and iron ore is on its way to the UK from Australia after a legal dispute between British Steel and Chinese owner Jingye was resolved.
The raw materials are necessary to prevent the cooling of the blast furnaces, which would risk irreparable damage to the plant systems.
The Government passed emergency legislation designed to support the plant on Saturday after talks with Jingye broke down.
The firm’s plans to stop ordering new raw materials to keep the plant running and sell off supplies it already had prompted the Government into action, Mr Reynolds has said.
China has accused the UK of “politicising” trade co-operation, and suggested its companies could be put off investing in Britain if they were not treated “fairly”.
Downing Street said it had become “clear” that the Chinese owners “wanted to shut the blast furnaces” during talks.
But No 10 said it was not aware of any “sabotage” at the plant, when asked if there were any concerns that officials from Jingye may have purposefully attempted to shut down the furnaces.
British Steel has appointed interim executives as efforts continue to try and secure its future.
Additional reporting by Press Association.
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