The UK steel industry is urging the government to commit to buying British steel as part of the country’s planned offshore wind power boom.
Wind energy now accounts for almost a third of the UK’s electricity generation, yet less than 2% of the steel used in offshore wind projects during the past five years has come from domestic mills, according to consultant Lumen Energy & Environment.
A new government steel strategy is expected this spring from business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who aims to expand UK steel manufacturing capacity and capability against a backdrop of costly decarbonisation pressures. Gareth Stace, chief executive of industry body UK Steel, argues that prioritising British-produced steel for the UK’s rapidly growing offshore wind sector would strengthen domestic supply chains and deliver wider economic benefits.
Demand for UK windfarm steel is forecast to top 1m tonnes per year on average from 2026 to 2050, peaking at more than 2m tonnes—a marked leap from the 300,000 tonnes currently used annually. Most future demand, however, will be for plate steel, which is not produced at scale in Britain. Industry leaders say investment in new facilities hinges on government policies that favour local manufacturing over imports.
Stace contends that this approach would help reverse the sector’s decline and encourage steelmakers to invest, while also recognising the value of keeping such large-scale spending within the UK. He has called on ministers to regard British steel “by default” in public procurement decisions.
Government efforts to bolster domestic steel include a £2.5bn support package, some of which has been earmarked for projects such as replacing traditional blast furnaces with electric arc furnaces at plants in Port Talbot and Scunthorpe. Nevertheless, factories assembling turbine components in Newcastle and building monopiles in Teesside still rely on imported steel plate, highlighting the importance of a cohesive industrial strategy that boosts UK capacity.