The history of steelmaking in Port Talbot
Video report by ITV Wales journalist Tom Atkins.
Traditional steel production at Tata’s giant plant in Port Talbot will end on Monday, 30 September, when the last blast furnace will close down before the transition to a much greener way of making steel.
The history of industry in Port Talbot dates back to 1253 when the Lord of North Cornelly, Walter Lovel, granted the monks of Margam Abbey the privilege of extracting iron and lead ores from his land.
Here's a look at the history of steelmaking in Port Talbot:
1717: Lord Mansel’s Forge was in existence by 1717.
1770: The English Copper Company set up a works at Taibach.
1820: The Margam Tinplate Works opened in Aberavon.
1837: Port Talbot docks open. The docks, and subsequently the town, are named after the wealthy industrialist Talbot family, who were the main backers behind the project.
1901-05: The original Port Talbot steel mill is built in the Welsh town. It is named after Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.
1901-1910: William Gilbertson began constructing the Port Talbot steelworks, having chosen the location because of its proximity both to the docks and railway. However, it failed within a year of production starting.
In 1906, the Port Talbot Steel Company (PTSC) reopened the steelworks. A light plate mill was built at Port Talbot and commissioned in September 1908, to enable the GRCWC a source of raw materials.
1908-1914: New open-hearth steel and two rolling mills were built at Port Talbot.
1914: The Port Talbot works’ capacity was expanded to 5,000 tonnes of steel a week thanks to increased orders for steel plates for shipbuilding and boilers, in addition to its traditional rail and section markets.
1917: Establishment of Margam steelworks, with two blast furnaces, a coke plant and an open-hearth steelmaking shop.
1923-1926: Margam Iron and Steel opens.
1938: Construction of Blast Furnace 3 and the re-build of Blast Furnaces 1 & 2 to increase capacity.
1951: A new steel plant, called the Abbey Works, is opened. It is the location where the current plant stands. Two years later it becomes fully operational.
1941: Blast Furnace 3 was put into operation at the Margam works.
1947: The Steel Company of Wales is formed.
1951: A state-of-the-art hot strip mill was put into operation there followed by modern open-hearth plant with eight furnaces.
1953: Margam Iron and Steel works closes.
1956-1959: Blast Furnace number 4 and number 5 were constructed.
1961: Original Port Talbot steel mill closes.
1967: The Steel Company of Wales is absorbed into British Steel. Around this time, the Abbey Works plant is the biggest of its kind in Europe and the largest single employer in Wales – directly employing about 20,000 people.
1970: Margam Coke Ovens, Blast Furnace 1 and 2 are shut down.
1978: The Port Talbot Hot Mill celebrates production of 50million tonnes.
2001: Blast Furnace 5 explosion results in three deaths and many casualties.
2002: Launch of Blast Furnace 5 at Port Talbot.
2019: £25million project to extend the life of Port Talbot blast furnaces completed.
2024: Tata Steel UK announce the closure of Blast Furnace 4 and 5, to be replaced with an Electric Arc Furnace with construction set to take place from 2025.