Steel made in Scunthorpe is on its way to Turkey, where it will form part of one of the country’s most ambitious new railways — and in doing so, British Steel has demonstrated once again that it still has a meaningful role to play in the global steel market. The eight-figure contract with ERG International Group to supply 36,000 tonnes of rail for the 599km Ankara–İzmir high-speed line is the clearest recent evidence of this.
The Ankara–İzmir railway is a flagship Turkish infrastructure project designed to cut travel times and reduce carbon emissions. Supplying rail for such a project requires quality, precision, and reliability — all attributes that British Steel, supported by UK Export Finance, was evidently able to demonstrate in securing the contract.
In Scunthorpe, the deal has been transformative on a human scale. Twenty-three new jobs have been created, and 24-hour production has been restarted for the first time in over a decade. For a workforce that has spent the better part of two years living with profound uncertainty about its future, the contract is both an economic and psychological boost.
UK Steel praised the contract and called on the government to support British Steel’s role in the global market with structural reforms — particularly on energy costs and import protections. The director general noted that British Steel is “a globally respected manufacturer” and called for policy action to match that standing.
The financial challenges remain, with £1.2 million a day in losses and a total government bill of £359 million. But the Turkish deal is proof that Scunthorpe steel is still wanted — still competitive — and that British Steel still has a role to play. The challenge now is to ensure that role is secured for the long term.