Electric arc plan unveiled for Scunthorpe and Teesside with aim to be operational within two years. : Plans for British Steel’s biggest transformation in its history, a £1.25 billion switch to electric arc furnace production, are being accelerated. The company has unveiled its proposal to make the switch, bringing it forward by at least five years. However, it puts many jobs at risk, with speculation the figure could be between 1,500 and 2,000 at the Scunthorpe headquarters, due to its less labour intensive operations. Itcurrenntly employs around 4,500 staff across the UK.