A new report highlighted a critical opportunity for the UK Government to bolster the domestic steel sector by prioritizing British-made steel in public procurement projects. Despite being the UK’s largest steel buyer, the Government currently sources a third of its steel from overseas, costing taxpayers £1.5 billion annually and sidelining local producers.

UK Steel’s commissioned report from LumenEE underscores the potential in just one sector: offshore wind development. Over the next 25 years, an estimated 25 million tons of steel, worth £21 billion, will be needed for offshore wind infrastructure around Britain. This would demonstrate the broader opportunities across sectors if procurement policies favored domestic suppliers.

UK Steel and industry leaders have outlined five recommendations, including stricter adherence to local content requirements in contracts and investment in supply chains. Gareth Stace, UK Steel’s Director-General, emphasized the transformative potential of strategic procurement in driving economic growth and securing well-paid jobs in the UK steel sector.