ArcelorMittal suspends Fos-sur-Mer plant due to environmental concerns

ArcelorMittal suspends Fos-sur-Mer, France, plant due to excessive emissions, no restart date set, reports Kallanish.

The reason was the decision of the labor inspectorate, which revealed an excessively high level of exposure to toxic products and dust on employees, as well as insufficient protective measures. The temporary administrative closure imposed by the inspectorate concerns the steel division, but will affect the operation of the enterprise as a whole.

«The Labor Inspectorate informed us about the decision to temporarily close part of the enterprise: the steel shop. The closure of this division gradually provides for the cessation of the work of all other divisions on the site,» said a company representative.

The company called the decision unreasonable and disproportionate and is working to avoid a plant shutdown while strengthening its commitment to health and safety in the workplace and ensuring product delivery to customers.

ArcelorMittal is taking legal action to quickly suspend this decision. The company is implementing an action plan to reduce the impact of the situation on workers and is negotiating with the labor inspectorate and trade unions. The suspension has begun and will last for several weeks. If ArcelorMittal’s appeal is unsuccessful, the supply and sales departments will take advantage of the preparation period to plan appropriate solutions for customers.

In Fos-sur-Mer, ArcelorMittal operates two blast furnaces (BFs) with a total capacity of 5 million tonnes per year and produces both hot and cold rolled coil. Recently, according to Fastmarkets, the company has resumed operation of Blast Furnace №2 after six months of downtime due to poor market conditions. Sources suggest that ArcelorMittal will try to keep the steel plant’s rolling mills running using raw materials from elsewhere, but the company has not commented on the matter.

ArcelorMittal’s steelworks at Dunkirk and Fos-sur-Mer, notes French LaTtribune, accounts for 25% of French industrial greenhouse gas emissions. The company, with state support, began work on the gradual replacement of blast furnaces and the transition to the use of electricity and hydrogen.

As GMK Center reported earlier, ArcelorMittal Dunkirk planned to restart blast furnace №4 – the unit was suspended in March of this year due to a fire.