Liberty to acquire Tata pipe mills in Hartlepool

The 42-inch and 84-inch longitudinal submerged arc welded (LSAW) mills make heavy-duty steel pipe for the energy, power and construction industries, but have suffered in recent years due to market forces. According to Liberty, the deal will involve a support package to safeguard the 140 jobs at the mills, as well as to recruit more staff, upskill the workforce and develop new products. Tata will retain ownership of the 20-inch pipe mill located there, as it is connected to the company’s strip products business and steelmaking in Port Talbot.

The deal comes just a week after Liberty announced it had acquired Caparo Merchant Bar’s (CMB) two rolling mills at Scunthorpe, securing 145 jobs. In May, Liberty took over Tata Specialty Steels in South Yorkshire, claiming it would not only protect the existing 1,700 jobs, but would add an extra 300 as part of the £100m deal. The acquisition of the Hartlepool mills will bring Liberty’s UK workforce close to 5,000 people, spread across more than 30 sites.