GENERAL NEWS
JLR drives huge value from cutting waste
JLR is optimising reuse in its operations to balance capability requirements and CO₂e impact as it transitions to deliver electric models across all its brands by 2030 and aims to achieve net zero by 2039 through its Reimagine strategy. JLR is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors Limited, part of Tata Sons.
JLR is reducing waste across its industrial operations in the UK and Europe through a £ 100m reuse, refurbishment, repurposing and recycling drive. As its electrification transformation progresses to the next stage, with the forthcoming launch of Range Rover Electric, JLR’ s industrial operations are readying themselves for the next generation of electric vehicles and undergoing a revamp across all facilities.
As a result, tens of thousands of pieces of equipment and tools, from entire production lines to screwdrivers, have been put back in circulation when possible. This is after considering factors such as standard compliance, availability of spare parts, cost of refurbishment and servicing, potential scrap as well as sale revenues.
Instead of buying new equipment, JLR has reused over 50,000 square metres of kit, the equivalent of seven football pitches, from Castle Bromwich( UK) which ceased production last year, the Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre( EPMC) in
Wolverhampton( UK) and Graz( Austria) and redeployed it across JLR sites in the UK and Nitra, Slovakia. Meanwhile hundreds of second‐life robots are now installed at Solihull, Halewood and the EPMC in Wolverhampton( UK) ready to produce JLR’ s next-generation electric vehicles and battery packs.
In addition, 18,600 tonnes of scrapped metal from Castle Bromwich and Graz have been sent to a supplier for recycling, helping to enable the reduction of CO₂e emissions by 1,258kg per tonne of new steel generated from scrapped metal. 1
The circularity drive has been led by a broad cross‐functional group with members from JLR’ s Industrial Operations through to Vehicle Programmes, working across sites and technologies to identify asset reuse opportunities. A new digital management system has also been developed in‐house, aiming to manage the life of every vehicle programme asset from acquisition through to sale, scrapping and reuse. The solution will include an internal marketplace where a catalogue of assets will be available for purchase, streamlining and scaling up future projects. Across facilities, the teams have also built new valuable technical, maintenance and safety skills, bringing refurbishment and recalibration of tools to production standards on-site.
JLR is recruiting 150 EV maintenance technicians at its Solihull and Wolverhampton facilities to support production of its nextgeneration electric vehicles. Pivotal new roles will be responsible for maintaining JLR’ s manufacturing technologies including robots, automated welding equipment and laser joining systems.
The first electric car that JLR will launch later this year will be the Range Rover Electric, built in Solihull. Also built in Solihull will be the first of three reimagined modern luxury electric Jaguars, a four‐door GT.
1. Supplier data: 442kg CO₂e per tonne of new steel created from scrapped metal. 1,700kg CO₂e per tonne of new steel created from scratch( accurate as of 29 April 2025).
Supporting Europe’ s steel supply chain
In April 2025, EUROFER( the European Steel Association) and EUROMETAL leaders convened to discuss potential collaboration areas for strengthening messaging and initiatives to support the European steel and steel-using industries. Further analysis and discussions will follow in due course.
This initial exploratory meeting was prompted by the Steel Dialogue on 4 March 2025, hosted by the European Commission, during which EUROMETAL raised concerns regarding the impact of imported steel derivatives on European distribution, processing and manufacturing industries.“ Both EUROFER and EUROMETAL acknowledged that a robust manufacturing base is essential for strategic autonomy and involves the entire steel supply chain— including both steel production and processing. The Steel and Metals Action Plan represents a strong starting point, where the European Union recognizes
industry challenges and importance, but this requires concrete translation into effective regulatory frameworks. Sharing knowledge and perspectives across the value chain will enhance the design and implementation of such policies and measures,” said the associations.
EUROMETAL represents a significant portion of the intermediate steel processing market in Europe, comprising nearly 50 % of deliveries in the EU. These processors face substantial challenges to remain competitive and require stronger, more targeted support.
“ A steel industry confronted with a shrinking customer base, particularly in downstream sectors, poses broader risks for the entire European industrial ecosystem, as the same accounts for the European steel customer base that requires a viable steel industry in Europe,” said the associations.
The two associations underscored that the weakening of this vital supply chain
“ puts at risk 13.6 million direct jobs across steel processing, intermediate suppliers and manufacturing sectors in the EU.”
“ The consequences go far beyond economics— this situation threatens a wider European deindustrialisation with the relocation of R & D capacities, loss of innovation hubs and increased dependence on external markets,” they added.
“ The EU steel-using and steel-making industries are at stake. The focus of European policymakers needs to be expanded to the complete supply and value chain of our industry. Our joint efforts will form a solid basis to approaching this important topic sustainably,” concluded Alexander Julius, President of EUROMETAL. n
www. eurofer. eu
https:// eurometal. net /
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