More Tata Steel investment for Flintshire 'solar steel'

The steel giant Tata is to invest another £3.5m in a project that brings together solar power technology and steel.

The company will expand its development at its site at Shotton, Flintshire, alongside specialist firm Dyesol.

The expansion will see another 20 staff taken on to the project team.

It is hoped the investment will develop better ways of integrating solar cell technology with steel to use in buildings.

The process produces a dye used to coat metals used in buildings, which can absorb sunlight and create energy, such as electricity or heat.

"This project forms a key part of the Tata Steel strategy to develop a new range of functional coated steel products based on renewable energy for use on the roofs and walls of buildings," said Peter Strikwerda, managing director of Tata Steel Colors in Shotton.

The company has already put £11m into the project and said it hoped the initial development phase would be completed by the end of June.

The project has also been backed with £5m research technology funding from the assembly government.