Using Australian coal in Port Talbot 'needs to stop'

Coal from Australia is used in the UK's largest steel works in Port Talbot

Environmental campaigners have said it is "complete lunacy" that coal imported from Australia is being used by Tata's Port Talbot steelworks.

The site burns hundreds of thousands of tonnes of coal every month.

Extinction Rebellion said it was "madness" to ship coal from one side of the world to the other, particularly in the wake of the Australian bushfires.

Tata said it was committed to finding alternatives to coal and hoped to be carbon free by 2050.

The steelworks' three primary sources for coal are Australia, which is 9,000 miles away (14,484 km), Brazil - 5,400 miles away (8,690 km), and Russia - 3,700 miles (5,954 km) away.

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When the Welsh Government declared a climate emergency last year it said it was committed to achieving a "carbon neutral public sector by 2030", and coordinating action to help other parts of the economy move away from fossil fuels.

An Extinction Rebellion spokesman said: "We cannot continue burning coal full stop.

"We cannot be shipping it from one side of the world to the other. That is absolute madness. That needs to stop."

The links between fossil fuels, climate change and the Australian bushfires have been questioned

Friends of the Earth Cymru director, Haf Elgar, said: ''We're facing climate breakdown, and the tragic bushfires in Australia are a clear signal that we must keep fossil fuels in the ground.

"The Welsh Government has declared a climate emergency and Wales needs to get to net zero emissions as fast as possible.

"We have a global responsibility and that means not burning coal from Australia, Brazil, Russia or anywhere else, as well as not extracting more coal from Wales."

Despite the bushfire crisis, attributed by many to climate change, the Australian Government has remained committed to its fossil fuel industry.

The continent is one of the largest coal producers on the planet.

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The high quality of the coal makes it among the most efficient to use, which is why it is highly prized by steel makers.

A Tata spokesman said: "We are committed to innovation in breakthrough technologies and nurturing ongoing projects which have the potential to change the way steel is produced.

"We are doing this in partnership with our customers, industrial partners, governments and other industries."

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We fully recognise the importance and challenges of decarbonising industrial processes and are working hard to help energy intensive businesses reduce emissions whilst maintaining a competitive industrial base."