Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Liberty Steel has secured a A$50 million (US$33.6 million) government grant to partially fund the installation of a new low-carbon Q-One Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) from Italian equipment manufacturer, Danieli, which is reported to require a capital investment of between A$400 and 500 million, at its Whyalla plant in South Australia, and whether it will pursue a similar opportunity with the company for Liberty's Dalzell and Clydebridge steel works at Motherwell and Cambuslang.
The Scottish Government is aware of the recent announcement by Liberty Steel that it is to install a new Electric Arc Furnace at its Whyalla plant in South Australia.
We applaud Liberty Steel’s commitment to its global decarbonisation strategy which aims to be carbon neutral in its steel production by 2030 and we welcome the steps it is taking towards this goal.
Scottish Government regularly engage with Liberty Steel regarding their operations. We are not aware of any plans to install an Electric Arc Furnace at either Dalzell or Clydebridge at this time. Any such decision would be an operational one for Liberty Steel.