and Supply Chain Transformation Leader at Slalom.“ Both approaches have constrained supply chain flexibility, increased uncertainty and challenged developers to manage rising costs and elongated planning cycles.”
Gavin Bollan, Director – New Energy Systems and Technology at SLR Consulting, adds:“ Nationalisation of British Steel means that the UK keeps its last and currently only means of producing primary steel from ore. All of the rest of our steel production is now electric arc furnaces, which essentially melts scrap steel into new – a secondary rather than primary product.
“ The UK construction industry has long since established multiple supply lines and the majority of construction steel is now imported. The UK government is very cautious about the application of tariffs on a raw material so closely linked with economic activity and growth.”
Despite such challenges, recent investments in the UK into data centre infrastructure could lead to long-term investments in regional capacity or even encourage countries to be more self-sufficient, John explains.
“ It is likely that these moves made by the US and UK governments will encourage companies to begin pivoting investment in local steel production and manufacturing, so they aren’ t heavily reliant on international suppliers,” he says.“ This could help protect such companies from future global disruptions or price spikes.
“ For the data centre industry, developers will be able to better
174 July 2025