Green light for South Wales steel decarbonisation centre

Morgan Sindall Construction has been commissioned to design and build a new £20M Swansea Bay City Deal-backed facility in Neath Port Talbot, which will help the metals and steel industry decarbonise.

Led by Neath Port Talbot Council in partnership with Swansea University, the facility will be known as SWITCH (South Wales Industrial Transition from Carbon Hub) Harbourside and will be located close to Tata Steel’s Port Talbot plant.

The building forms part of the City Deal Supporting Innovation and Low Carbon Growth programme and is aimed at establishing the region as a leader in low carbon growth and the green economy. It is expected to take 18 months to complete.

SWITCH Harbourside will be a purpose-built open access centre establishing a collaborative network of expertise across academia, industry and government, aiming to accelerate the region’s transition to net zero.

Professor Helen Griffiths, Pro Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation, Swansea University, said: “SWITCH Harbourside will showcase what can be achieved in a net zero future, both in its design and its purpose.

“SWITCH Harbourside will build on Swansea University’s track record of bringing together academia, industry, local authorities and government. It will make Welsh research expertise more accessible to business and industry, to accelerate our transition to net zero.”