Arceormittal France said he was “excessively worried” on Wednesday of the time that the European Commission took to “protect” the European steel market through a limitation of imports in the old continent and support for European production, “non -competitive” due to the cost of CO2. “We are excessively worried because it takes time, it does not arrive,” said the president of Arceormittal of France, Alain Le Grix de la Salle, during an audience in front of the French deputies.
He recalled that his group, which announced at the end of April the abolition of 636 jobs in France, expected the rapid concretization of the steel plan announced in March by Brussels before confirming an investment of decarbonation in Dunkerk.
The first electric oven not before 2028
According to figures from the World Association of Steel Producers, 100,000 jobs have disappeared in Europe in the steel industry since 2008, while production has decreased by 30%, according to figures from the World Association of Steel Producers. In recent months, this very strategic sector has been caught in high energy prices and production overcapacity for Chinese industrialists. Therefore, fight to invest in the expensive decarbonation projects. Supported by the French government, demanded a clear protectionist inflection.
The oven itself must be established “at the end of 2028 or early 2029,” he said. The cost of this first electric arc oven (EAF), 1.2 billion euros, is “very high” because it includes “around the adaptation of the site to be able to receive the first EAF, therefore, the structural and logistics costs” explain to the manager. The cost of the second, if it is also confirmed in Dunkerque, must be “700 to 800 million euros”.
Regarding the initial Arceormittal project, to also invest in a direct iron ore reduction factory with gas or hydrogen in the replacement of coal, known under the acronym DRP for “direct reduction plant”, it has clearly explained that “this model is not necessary in Europe” in current conditions and “whenever we do not have a solution to support the heavy industry in terms of energy costs.”
Source: BFM TV
