What the report “British Steel’s Chinese owner wanted £1bn state support for Scunthorpe site” (March 29) has not taken into account is that these new “less carbon-intensive” electric arc furnaces will require a considerable supply of raw steel to replace that which was produced in the blast furnaces at Port Talbot and Scunthorpe. This raw steel will have to be produced in blast furnaces in other countries, such as China and India.
The electric arc furnaces can recycle scrap steel, which is a good thing, but it will be nowhere near enough for this country’s needs. All that the closure of Scunthorpe and Port Talbot is doing, therefore, is to transfer pollution and jobs to other countries.
Donald Payne
Tipton, West Midlands, UK
