The Welsh First Minister has defended the UK Government’s efforts in negotiating a better deal for workers at Tata Steel.

Traditional steelmaking has come to an end but Tata Steel bosses insist it is only a matter of time until a greener operation is underway. | ITV News Wales

End of an era as last blast furnace shuts down at Port Talbot steelworks - Nearly 2,000 jobs will be lost at Tata Steel UK’s plant as production switches to low-carbon steel making.

The Tata steelworks will stop producing liquid iron as part of a restructure costing 2,800 jobs.

The process of winding down operations at the final blast furnace has been underway for a number of days. Tata had warned residents they should expect 'whooshing' sounds and plumes of steam. Tata confirmed the last blast furnace at the site would be switched off, along with the remaining heavy-end operations on Monday, September 30.

The move away from making steel from scratch using iron ore and coal to recycling metal in a new £1.25bn electric arc furnace could lead to a "90% reduction in dust from the works' chimneys", Tata has claimed. But for Port Talbot, the prospect of cleaner air comes at a cost - with around 2000 jobs lost.

Braving the opposition from workers and political parties for almost a year, the Indian company stuck to its plan to end steelmaking operation at the South Wales site on September 30, with the closure of the sinter plant,

Today marks the end at one of the biggest steelworks in the world as the last blast furnace at Port Talbot in Wales shuts down, leaving it unable to make its own steel.

For Jon, there is a strange sense of déjà vu, having documented the fictional demise of a steelworks in the town as a production photographer for the Michael Sheen drama The Way last year.

The last remaining blast furnace will cease operating today with Tata seeking to move to an electric arc furnace operation in a £1.2bn investment

Tata Steel ceases operations at Port Talbot, UK's largest steel plant, with plans to resume steelmaking in 2027/2028.