7-Steel

Empowering real-time industrial energy management: inControl and 7-Steel UK at the Forefront of Industrial Digital Transformation

When it comes to industrial energy efficiency, real-time visibility is everything. Traditional reporting cycles—often quarterly or monthly—simply can’t keep pace with the fast-changing realities of modern manufacturing, where energy costs and production demands fluctuate hour by hour.

That’s the challenge 7-Steel UK, one of the country’s leading producers of low-carbon, circular steel, set out to solve. Working alongside inControl Systems and Rockwell Automation, they are implementing a digital energy management solution designed to turn raw energy data into actionable insight—helping the company make smarter, faster decisions to drive efficiency and sustainability.

7 Steel UK, acquired in 2025 by Sev.en Global Investments, is one of the nation’s foremost producers of low-carbon, circular steel. Operating from a state-of-the-art facility in Cardiff, the company transforms UK-sourced scrap into high-quality steel products for key infrastructure, energy, and construction projects across the UK and Ireland. Its Electric Arc Furnace technology enables up to 80% lower CO₂ emissions compared to traditional methods, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable manufacturing.With three core divisions — Manufacturing, Service, and Recycling — 7 Steel UK produces up to 1.2 million tonnes of crude steel annually, recycles over one million tonnes of scrap, and generates 1,700 direct jobs through its growing circular economy model.

7 Steel UK…
Produces — 1.2 million tonnes of crude steel annually
Recycles — One million tonnes of scrap
Oversees — Four scrap yards
Generates — 1,700 direct jobs via its circular economy

The Challenge

Energy is a significant cost driver in steel production, but until recently, 7-Steel’s consumption data was aggregated into a single top-level figure that took time to produce and offered little operational granularity.

Without access to near-real-time data, the business couldn’t easily pinpoint inefficiencies, compare loads across departments, or identify high-usage processes that could be adjusted for better performance.

The result was a lag between energy consumption, bill reporting, and operational decision-making—a gap that limited the company’s ability to optimise costs or respond to emerging trends in sustainability and resource management.

The Approach

inControl partnered with Rockwell Automation to deploy FT Energy Manager, a centralised energy management system that connects data from across 7-Steel’s operations.

The solution enables real-time reporting, alarm threshold monitoring, and energy intensity metrics that highlight where improvements can be made.

By combining connected energy and process data, 7-Steel can now make data-driven decisions—for example, switching energy-intensive operations to night shifts when tariffs are lower, or identifying “hot” energy usage points that need further investigation.

“Businesses are not like households—a quarterly bill doesn’t reflect the day-to-day decisions manufacturers must make about energy usage”

Graham Jennings, Digital Solutions Director at inControl Systems.

The Data

This is part of a wider digital transformation journey, where manufacturing intelligence moves from retrospective reporting to continuous optimisation—empowering plant managers, sustainability leads, and finance teams alike.

“Businesses are not like households—a quarterly bill doesn’t reflect the day-to-day decisions manufacturers must make about energy usage,” says Graham Jennings, Digital Solutions Director at inControl Systems.

“We’re working with 7-Steel to provide tools that deliver live energy data, so teams can act immediately: reduce peaks, manage demand, and plan more efficiently. These are the kinds of digital insights that help companies make more with less—and it’s great to share these learnings with other partners through Rockwell Automation.”

The Result

It’s early days in an on-going partnership, but early results from the project show a measurable shift toward more responsive, data-driven operations:

• Support for ISO 50001 certification, aligning energy management with international standards.
• Real-time energy data now available across main loads, with expansion to sub-systems in progress.
• Identification of energy-intensive operations and peak load periods to enable targeted action.
• Creation of energy intensity metrics to highlight root causes of inefficiency.
• Immediate and accurate reporting, helping teams to verify billing and sustainability targets.

“Since first engaging with inControl they have helped support, develop and guide 7 Steel to meet the ever demanding ESGs. Now with clear energy consumption insights using FTEM, 7 Steel can make high impact cost decisions at the lowest risk to the business. We are excited to grow the platform in the safe hands of inControl & Rockwell Automation”

Aaron Mcgovern, Project Engineer at 7-Steel

A Broader Impact

Beyond 7-Steel, the collaboration reflects a growing movement in UK manufacturing toward connected operations, predictive analytics, and sustainable industrial performance.

As energy prices continue to rise and decarbonisation targets tighten, having a transparent, real-time view of resource usage is no longer optional—it’s a core competitive advantage.

For inControl Systems, these projects demonstrate how industrial digitalisation can unlock both operational and environmental gains. The company continues to work with Rockwell Automation and forward-thinking partners across sectors to embed resilience, efficiency, and sustainability through connected technologies.

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Contact Graham and the team today to help you gain real-time insight into your energy usage

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