India-based steelmaker Tata Steel has said it is aiming to "minimise any impact" on production at its Port Talbot plant in the UK after an explosion at the facility at 03:30 BST today.
The company said the blast was caused by a spillage of molten iron that led to a number of fires, which have now been extinguished. Two employees suffered minor injuries. By 07:30 BST the site had been completely reopened to allow a damage assessment to be carried out, Tata said.
"We are currently investigating the cause of the incident," Tata said. "There will be no impact on customers."
Liquid steel production capacity at Port Talbot is about 5mn t/yr. The steelworks is the largest in the UK and employs over 4,000 people.
The explosion has temporarily drawn Tata's attention away from its continuing attempts to form a European joint venture with its German peer Thyssenkrupp, which is facing competition scrutiny by the European Commission. The merger of the two firms' European assets would create the world's second-largest steelmaker.
ThyssenKrupp is reportedly willing to sell a Spanish galvanising line to push through the deal, while Tata is expected to offer its Trostre tinplate facility. The commission updated its website this morning saying that a review deadline for the deal has been extended to June 17.
