British companies plan 10m tonnes of orders to help wean Britain off foreign energy

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But bosses want the government to help the industry switch to more environmentally friendly production so the sector can meet the demand for programs energy in the years to come

Industry wants government help to reduce emissions (

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UK steelmakers could benefit from a 10 million tonne order windfall to help the UK become energy self-sufficient.

Ministers are locked into a drive to increase the amount of electricity produced by the UK after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent international gas prices skyrocketing - and family bills.

A study by metals giant Tata explains how UK steel companies could benefit from a windfall to build the necessary infrastructure, but need government support to help them switch to environmentally friendly production .

Tata UK Chairman Henrik Adam said: "Recent events have shown us how crucial it is to have a secure energy supply.

"Achieving this will require an energy revolution in this country, requiring millions of tons of steel to build new power generation projects.

"British steelmakers, like Tata Steel, want to be part of this revolution, for example by developing new steel products for solar farms or for floating offshore wind structures."

Henrik Adam, Chairman of Tata UK (

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Courtesy of Tata Steel)

Some 5.3 million tonnes of steel will be needed by 2030 to build offshore wind turbines, two million tonnes for nuclear power projects, 1.5 million for solar power projects and 1 An additional .5 million tonnes for infrastructure to harness hydrogen and develop significant carbon capture and capture systems. storage projects, according to Tata's analysis.

Industry experts are excited about the potential demand, but fear the industry's polluting reputation could hamper bids for great deals.

British steel is responsible for 14% of UK industrial emissions and 2.7% of all UK greenhouse gases.

Steel bosses have spent the last year pleading with ministers to help the transition to 'green steel', switching to less harmful production methods.