Shotton Works is located in Deeside, North Wales, and manufactures approximately 500,000 tonnes of metallic coated and pre-finished steel per year for building envelope, domestic and consumer applications.

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Resource use and waste management
• Water use
• Transport impacts
• Employment and skills
• Local communities
• Performance data

Greenhouse gas emissions

Key focus areas for reduction in CO₂ relate to the efficient use of natural gas on furnace operations and electrical efficiency. Initiatives include:

• A focus on operational energy reduction initiatives such as installation of variable speed drives on some equipment.
• Upgrading energy efficient lighting.
• Installation of four regenerative thermal oxidisers to reduce natural gas consumption on process lines, whilst simultaneously abating solvent emissions from coating processes.
• Receiving >95% feedstock from South Wales by rail rather than road.

Shotton is covered by a new energy efficiency governance process established within Tata Steel Europe, whereby its energy performance has been compared to a benchmark as part of a gap analysis exercise.

The site has generated a range of schemes aimed at bridging the gap with best practice. Internal targets for improvement have been established and Tata Steel Europe’s Chief Technical Officer and his direct reports review the progress of each site towards these on a quarterly basis.

Resource use and waste management

In line with our objective to increase resource efficiency and reduce / eliminate wastes to landfill, we have enacted a number of waste reduction strategies at our plant in Shotton, including:

• Reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. We have improved waste segregation for plastic, wood, cardboard and paper across the site. Where it is not possible to recycle, e.g. broken pallets and cardboard cores, are sent to a local steam raising plant to be incinerated to provide an energy source.
• Paint application has been improved, thus reducing raw material consumption.
• Dry Mixed Recyclable (DMR) wastes are processed by a licensed waste processor.
• Coil packaging materials have been reviewed the amounts used reduced. On site packaging uses reusable magnetic bindings. Coil protectors are reused on site and only disposed of once they are beyond repair.

Our actions to improve resource efficiency go beyond the actions we take in our own manufacturing operations. A key element of resource efficiency is durability; products don't have to be replaced so often and societal consumption is reduced.

We offer the most comprehensive guarantee for pre-finished steel products in Europe for up to 40 years. Unlike other guarantees, Confidex^® covers factory cut edges for the entirety of the guarantee period and does not require any inspections or maintenance to validate the guarantee.

At the end of the working life of our products, there are a number of options that are beneficial in terms of reducing the full life cycle impacts of the buildings they are used in:

• They can be re-used: when removed from the underlying steel structure they can be re-used in another weather-proofing application.
• They can be recycled: our pre-finished steel products are fully recyclable. We have done detailed studies to demonstrate that this can be done without increasing harmful emissions from the process.

In addition to the inherent durability, re-usability and recyclability of our products, we have taken actions to increase the rate at which they are recycled at the end of life. We have done detailed studies to demonstrate that recycling through the BOS process can be done without increasing harmful emissions from the process.

We are continually investing in the UK's steel collection and recycling infrastructure, enhancing our own recycling capabilities in Port Talbot.

We provide education in schools about steel recycling and we provide technical literature for customers about the life cycle impacts of our products and the steps that can be taken to minimise these impacts throughout the life of the applications in which they are used.

Water use

Shotton has enacted a number of improvements to optimise its water consumption and have an objective to reduce the amount of process water being used, to reduce the impact that our water emissions have on the environment, as we discharge into ecologically sensitive areas, for example:

• Processing contaminated waters through our effluent treatment plant.
• Directing non-effluent process waters, away from wastewater treatment, and discharged into the site lagoons.
• Identifying opportunities for water reuse through the installation of chillers and cooling towers.
• Implementing process improvements to reduce the use of water, use of closed loop cycles, use of no-rinse technologies.

Transport impacts

Transport impacts are managed centrally within Tata Steel and, as such, it is not possible to disaggregate the transport impacts associated with the production and delivery of specific products from specific locations from the total estimate of Tata Steel transport impacts.

• As shipping and logistics activities are managed centrally within Tata Steel it is not possible to disaggregate the CO₂ emissions associated with the production and delivery of specific products from specific locations from the total estimate of Tata Steel transport impacts. See the general page for [information on Tata Steel’s transport impacts] and some of the steps we are taking to reduce these.

Employment and skills

We apply a common approach to employment and skills at all, of its sites. See the general page for information on what [Tata Steel is doing to advance the learning and development of its employees].

Local communities

The Shotton site has developed strong links with the local community over the years. The main community activities include:

• Work closely with schools and colleges in the area to help young people prepare for further training and employment, through work experience, career fairs, practice interviews, and insight into STEM.
• Employees can opt to donate £1 of their monthly salary which then goes on to support local charities and good causes.
• Offer nature walks around the areas of environmental interest on site to local schools.
• Work closely with the Flintshire Rangers to expand our involvement in local nature interests
• Support local events such as Kids of Steel, Wales Rally GB.
• Onsite blood donations for the Welsh Blood Service.

Performance data