The first orders of sustainably produced steel reinforcing bars are being shipped by South Yorkshire’s Liberty Steel UK.
Nearly 10,000 tonnes of rebar - as it is commonly referred to - will be delivered before the year end, following successful summer trials of the Rotherham rolling mill.
Grebar, as the new product is dubbed, reflects the production from scrap metal melted in an electric arc furnace.
It is used as a tension device for reinforced concrete structures in major road, rail and construction projects, with 1.2 million tonnes used annually - half of which is sourced from abroad.
Peter Gate, commercial director of rebar for Liberty, said: “The UK government has pledged to ‘build back better’ from the pandemic and our rebar offering made through Liberty’s Greensteel process offers customers the chance to use high-quality steel produced sustainably by a UK business.
“Reducing the UK’s reliance on imported rebar will cut transportation emissions and costs while strengthening the country’s supply chain for major construction projects.
“We have placed particular emphasis on developing the capability to provide 50mm rebar, which will give customers a broader UK market offering in this size and help drive design and cost efficiencies in construction.”
The mill plans to add 20mm to the offering, has the capability to procus rebar in sizes 25, 32, 40 and 50mm in Grade B500C, with plans to add 20mm to its offering.
Mr Gate estimates the HS2 rail project will require nearly one million tonnes of rebar. Upgrades and replacement of existing residential and transport infrastructure will also fuel future demand.
Liberty, an employer of 1,800 people, is now pushing ahead with research and development of micro-alloyed steel rebar – not commonplace in the global market – which will have more consistent grain capability that is useful for specific structural applications.
It already serves demanding markets such as oil and gas, aerospace and power generation.
The Rotherham mill will ramp up production of Grebar over the coming months, with ultimate capacity to reach 300,000 tonnes per annum.
