Members of the Cast Metals Federation (CMF) came together on Thursday 20 November for the annual Member Day and AGM, hosted for the first time at our new home in Dunston Business Village, Penkridge.
The day brought together foundries, suppliers, specialist speakers and sector stakeholders for a programme designed to equip members with practical insights, policy updates and emerging opportunities across the UK cast metals landscape.
Across the sessions, speakers highlighted the challenges and headwinds facing the sector – from CBAM and landfill tax changes through to ongoing skills pressures – but also the significant opportunities opening up for cast metals in areas such as offshore wind. With strong engagement throughout, the Member Day again demonstrated the value of coming together as a community to share knowledge, discuss priorities and shape the CMF’s work for the year ahead.
Leadership reflections and AGM
Outgoing Chair Steve Goodier reflected on two years of substantial change, noting that both the Federation and the wider sector had continued to perform strongly despite legislative, economic and workforce challenges. He particularly acknowledged Dr Pam Murrell, thanking her for her leadership during a period in which she stepped out of retirement to guide the Federation as interim Chief Executive.
Steve welcomed Lee Marshall as CMF’s new Chief Executive and formally handed over to incoming Chair Russell Gray and Vice Chair Sam Scholes during the AGM session.
Pam Murrell presented the CMF Impact Report, outlining a year of successful events, increased influence at national and international level, and continued growth in both foundry and supplier membership.
SHIFT, policy updates and industry engagement
Richard Heath, CMF Health, Safety and Environment Officer, shared progress on the SHIFT health and safety initiative, alongside the latest developments in the Government’s landfill tax proposals. He also provided an update on the CMF project exploring new uses for spent foundry sand in the glass industry.
Richard emphasised the crucial role of member participation in shaping these conversations: robust, empirical data is essential when representing the sector to Government, industry partners and international stakeholders. He encouraged all members to take part in consultations and surveys to strengthen the sector’s collective voice.
Understanding CBAM: CarbonChain briefing
Seán Colfer from CarbonChain provided a detailed castings-specific look at the emerging UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and its interaction with the EU’s already-established system, which is now in its transitional phase, launching definitively in 2026. He outlined the rationale behind CBAM – preventing carbon leakage and pricing of carbon associated with imported goods – and set out what members should prepare for.
Key points included:
- A new requirement for accurate embedded-carbon data when importing in-scope products.
- Quarterly and annual reporting obligations under EU and UK rules.
- The risk that default emissions values will be applied if suppliers cannot provide verifiable data.
- The potential opportunity for UK foundries, which already face higher carbon and energy costs, to position themselves as lower-carbon, higher-transparency suppliers.
- The likelihood that downstream finished components may fall within CBAM scope in future.
During a lively Q&A session with members, Seán noted that CBAM will bring both cost pressures and competitive advantages, depending on sourcing strategies, carbon performance and data readiness.
Offshore wind: opportunities for UK castings
Maf Smith of Lumen Energy & Environment, speaking as part of the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership’s work, then introduced members to the developing Bill of Works for offshore wind supply chains. This work is mapping the detailed cast component, material and capability requirements across turbines, foundations, ancillary systems and associated infrastructure.
Maf highlighted the scale of opportunity for castings. With a multi-decade pipeline and growing turbine sizes, the UK offshore wind sector will require very substantial volumes of steel, castings and associated components. While only a small proportion of these are currently supplied domestically, there is clear scope to grow UK capability in areas ranging from large ductile iron castings for nacelles to smaller, high-volume components used across electrical and mechanical systems.
He emphasised that the forthcoming Bill of Works will help identify where UK foundries can compete, where investment may be needed, and how the sector can position itself for future growth as offshore wind deployment accelerates globally.
Networking and closing remarks
Members also took advantage of the excellent networking opportunities throughout the day, continuing discussions over lunch and meeting colleagues from across the sector. The event was supported by LG Energy Group and Pro Enviro.
Reflecting on the day, Lee Marshall said: “Member Day was a valuable opportunity for members to engage with some of the key projects and policy areas shaping our sector. It’s always encouraging to see members connecting, asking questions and sharing knowledge as we work together on these important issues.”
Documents available to download
CMF members can access the following documents Member Day documents via the website Member Area:
- Impact Report 2024/25
- Minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2025
- CMF Council Members 2025-26
- CBAM and the UK Castings Industry
- Castings Opportunities in the Offshore Wind Sector
Click here and sign in to view and download these documents.
