The steel giant ArcelorMittal has indicated that it will begin “mid-2023” the construction of a new unit at its Mardyck (North) plant that will produce, from 2025, 200,000 tons of steel per year for the production of motors for electric cars. This unit will employ an additional 100 people on the site where half a thousand people already work. This investment of 300 million euros is “the most important” in the site “since its creation”, according to the director of electrical activities of ArcelorMittal France, Hugues Baudin. The project was announced a year ago, before the opening of a public consultation, which ended on May 12.
With this unit, ArcelorMittal will triple its production capacity in Europe for this steel, classified as electrical due to its strong magnetic properties due to the presence of silicon. It allows to build the parts of electric motors that transform electricity into movement. Used for a long time in household appliances or wind turbines, this steel is increasingly in demand due to the rapid development of electric vehicles, with the ban on thermal engines starting in 2035 in the European Union.
The “Battery Valley” continues its implementation in the North
The new unit, called Electryck, will be located near automakers Stellantis and Renault Electricity. Its objective is to “meet the needs” of this automotive market, ArcelorMittal said during a presentation to the press, after the public consultation.
This five-line unit, whose elements are totally connected, will be controlled from unique digital cabins, made up of touch screens that gather multiple information about the production process. The steel will be supplied by ArcelorMittal’s nearby steelworks in Dunkirk.
As a sign that the “Valley of the battery” continues its implementation in northern France, the Taiwanese group ProLogium confirmed last week the installation in Dunkirk of a fourth battery factory for electric vehicles in France. In Dunkirk also, the Chinese XTC will have to build with the French Orano a factory of components and recycling of batteries for 1,500 million euros.
Source: BFM TV
