ArcelorMittal Duisburg Presents Green Transformation Plan
ArcelorMittal Duisburg, a steelworks located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, recently received a visit from the state's Minister of Economic Affairs & Climate Protection, Ms. Mona Neubaur, to discuss the site's planned transformation to climate-neutral steel production. Accompanied by Green MP Mr. Felix Banaszak, Ms. Neubaur met with representatives of ArcelorMittal, the works council, and the branch office of IGMetall in Düsseldorf to discuss the decarbonisation plan, which will require significant investment and the expansion of the electricity infrastructure on site. The company has applied for funding from the Federal Government, which must be approved by the EU Commission before it can move forward with the ambitious transformation plan.
In support of the decarbonisation plan, Minister Ms. Neubaur stated that North Rhine-Westphalia aims to become Europe's first climate-neutral industrial region and that the steel industry, as a key industry with over 45,000 employees in the state, plays a significant role in achieving this goal.
Green MP Mr. Felix Banaszak stressed the importance of producing climate-neutral steel in Duisburg as soon as possible to secure jobs in the region and strengthen the industrial location. He also called for an active European industrial policy that ensures faster and leaner approval and state aid procedures.
ArcelorMittal Duisburg has been producing steel for over 150 years and currently processes around one million metric tons of steel for use in the automotive, mechanical engineering, and rail technology industries. To achieve its goal of climate-neutral steel production, the company plans to use green electricity and change its production method, which will require high investment costs in an electric arc furnace. Mr. Paul Tetteroo, CEO of ArcelorMittal Duisburg, emphasized the importance of financial support for the company's ambitious plan, as they cannot bear the cost alone in international competition.