Tata Steel UK agrees sale of Hartlepool pipe mills to Liberty House

Tata Steel UK has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of its pipe mills in Hartlepool to Liberty House Group.

The sale covers the 42-inch and 48-inch pipe mills where around 140 employees manufacture pipeline for gas and oil projects around the world. The mills are fed with steel plate sourced from outside Tata Steel so they are independent of the company's strip products.

Tata will keep its 20-inch tube mill at the same Hartlepool site and will be making a £1m investment to increase its capability to make high-strength steel tubes.

Chief executive officer Bimlendra Jha said: "As a responsible seller we have worked long and hard to find a sustainable future for the 42- and 84-inch pipe mills. With this sale, Tata Steel UK will complete its portfolio restructuring to focus on the strip products supply chain linked to Port Talbot. The sale is also an important step towards developing a more sustainable future for the rest of our UK business.”

The deal is expected to be completed within the next few months.

Union Unite welcomed the news, which it said ends months of uncertainty for workers.

National officer Tony Brady said: "Throughout the process workers have shown great resilience and professionalism. It is in no small part thanks to their hard work that Tata has been able to find a reputable buyer and commit to further investment in its 20-inch tube mill.

“Unite looks forward to working with Liberty House to ensure the smooth transfer of the workforce and that the business goes from strength to strength.”