The board of directors of Tata Steel plans to make the final decision at their headquarters in India. If the board implements the decision to close the blast furnaces, it will have to notify workers in the UK.
Unions say that Port Talbot, the UK's largest steelworks employing around 4,000 people, is bracing for the loss of 3,000 jobs by March. Although the town has grown up around the steelworks, prospects are set to fall as the company lags behind its competitors.
Port Talbot's two coal-fired blast furnaces contribute to the climate crisis, accounting for around 1.8 per cent of the UK's emissions.
Steel production is expected to continue at both sites, but companies are likely to install electric arc furnaces to melt scrap steel. This could reduce the need for blast furnaces and eliminate the need for thousands of workers in both towns.
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