Huge HS2 recycled steel scheme leads to £2m investment in Sheffield rebar factory

As the backbone to HS2’s two-decade construction programme, over one million tonnes of steel are forecast to be needed for standard construction materials, a further 200,000 tonnes for steel rail, switches and slabtrack, and an additional 15,000 tonnes for rolling stock.

ROM is part of Cardiff-based CELSA Group, which is the UK’s largest manufacturer of steel reinforcement.

Around 750 staff work at the two Cardiff-based sites where recycled scrap metal is melted in an electric arc furnace to produce 80 per cent less carbon emissions than basic oxygen steelmaking. The molten steel is then turned in to billets and rolled to make reinforcing bar (rebar) for use on HS2 construction sites.

The rebar is transported to UK sites managed by ROM Group, where it is cut, shaped, and bent to meet requirements.

Over the last two years, almost 20,000 tonnes of ROM/CELSA’s recycled British steel has helped to build HS2.

A 2,000-tonne order is a ‘big deal’ for the 100-strong team working at ROM Ltd.’s Sheffield factory, and around 140,000 tonnes of future orders are already in the pipeline from just one of HS2’s four civils construction partners.

The current scale of demand means ROM’s Sheffield Brightside facility is almost exclusively supplying rebar for HS2.

The potential to deliver a further 140,000 tonnes from the site, for just one HS2 contractor, would account for around 80 per cent of the site’s total output over the next three years.

Brian Traynor, Managing Director of ROM, said involvement with the scheme has been hugely positive.

“HS2 brought some much needed demand for ROM Group during the pandemic, as the orders kept on coming. We’ve subsequently invested over £2m in new equipment at our Sheffield facility to ensure we can maintain demand and sustain future growth.

“There’s a great sense of pride in seeing the steel our workforce has precision cut and bent being used to build the railway, and we hope that continues into the next decade and beyond as HS2 heads north.”

Visiting CELSA Steel UK’s Cardiff headquarters, Ruth Todd Chief Commercial Officer at HS2 Ltd said: “HS2’s vast demand for steel over the next 20 years, as we extend Britain’s new railway to Manchester and the East Midlands, is a lifeline for this vital UK industry and stimulates future growth potential.

“As I’ve seen here today, HS2’s supplier contracts with CELSA Steel UK are already supporting hundreds of jobs in Cardiff, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

"Furthermore, the recyclable and retraceable products they supply aligns to our commitment to cut carbon in construction, as we strive to ensure HS2 is one of the most environmentally responsible infrastructure projects ever delivered in the UK.”

Gabriella Nizam, Head of Sustainability and Strategy at CELSA UK said: “HS2 recognise the value of CELSA Steel UK’s low carbon steel, and we’re delighted our products are supporting the construction of a railway that will deliver zero carbon journeys for millions of people.”