ArcelorMittal Fos-sur-Mer shutdown after fire may be delayed for a month

None of the blast furnaces at the site are currently in operation

Global steel producer ArcelorMittal is temporarily halting production at its Fos-sur-Mer steelworks in France for a period of about one month. According to Kallanish, citing company data, the further schedule will depend on the pace of repair work following a fire at the plant in early October.

Currently, none of the blast furnaces at the site are operating. The fire broke out on the conveyor lines that supplied raw materials to production. At the time of the incident, only one blast furnace was in operation, which was not damaged. The fire was quickly localized, and there were no casualties. According to preliminary data, the fire may have been caused by material loaded onto the conveyors. The fire damaged the support structure of the conveyors and the associated electrical substation. The final cause of the incident is still being determined.

The company notes that other production lines will operate on a rotating basis, depending on demand and scheduled maintenance. Employees affected by the downtime will be transferred to training, sent on vacation, or enrolled in part-time employment programs.

According to market sources, ArcelorMittal is not currently offering new quotas for hot-rolled steel at least until the end of the year, although the company has not officially confirmed this. Some buyers report delays in deliveries and no clear timeline for the resumption of shipments.

The plant’s downtime could further exacerbate the shortage of rolled products on the European market. Analysts point out that production disruptions, combined with new EU proposals on trade defense measures, the upcoming introduction of CBAM, and a general increase in protectionism, will contribute to higher coil prices in the region.

As a reminder, ArcelorMittal recently began a major upgrade of blast furnace No. 1 at its site in Fos-sur-Mer, France. The €53 million investment will extend the unit’s service life and ensure its efficient operation amid capacity reductions – from 2024, only one of the two blast furnaces will be in operation at the site. BF No. 1 is expected to become a reliable replacement for the current BF No. 2.