By the time you read this the year 2025 will be some weeks old, but nonetheless I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year. As I have said previously, the UK has embarked on a new journey of steel decarbonised production, that is being followed by other countries, with the closing and dismantling of the blast furnace and attached structures. This is part of the plan for construction of a 3.2Mtpa electric arc furnace due to be commissioned at the end of 2027 or early 2028.

This big change for the steel industry will, it goes without saying, have a big impact on the refractory industry – but the optimist will say that this will also provide new opportunities for supply. This year could be one of great changes – and not all for the best.

The end of 2024 brought us two IRE conferences.

The annual UK conference was held in a new location, Wildes (formerly Van Dyk’s) in Barlborough, near Chesterfield in the East Midlands. Most people were positive about the new location and were highly complementary about the presenters and the presentations. Council will decide early in the New Year about this year’s conference and whether to return to Wildes. The biannual Australian conference, that Mario discusses on page 4, has passed as a great success. A great venue and schedule have been well received. The UK conference will try to improve similarly.

The IRE is also introducing a range of accessories: pin badges and polo shirts. We will detail how you get hold of these in due course. Council will also be seeking members’ opinions about the future of the Institute and what members want from it. One area to discuss is the journal and whether we should embrace an electronic version as a part or total replacement for the printed version. Opinions are strong on both sides of the subject.

Mike Lamkin, President
Institute of Refractories Engineers

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