Marcegaglia group’s takeover of the former Ascometal plant in Fos-sur-Mer, and its investment plans for the site are being well supported by the French Government, according to ceo and co-owner Antonio Marcegaglia.
“From my French colleagues I learned that the project is considered iconic by the central government,” he said at the European Steel Forum of US Association of Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) in Udine, Italy, attended by Kallanish.
“We were very lucky,” he said describing the support given by decision makers, which he said is helpful when it comes to promising decarbonisation projects. The technological transition at three steel plants in France have been given the status of “national strategic projects,” Marcegaglia noted.
Particularly the case of Marcegaglia Fos-sur-Mer “demonstrates that this is possible in an old industry.” The EAF planned with Danieli will be the first newly built steel meltshop in 50 years, Kallanish learns.
He pointed out that the project has been making progress “reasonably fast by European terms,” but quipped that “the Chinese would be laughing at this, though.”
Buying the French plant for Marcegaglia meant a change of concept of his group. “Our business model for over 60 years was that of an independent processor,” he said. The step now taken means a backward integration to include an actual steel-melting phase in its business.
Looking back at the decision of bidding for the plant “was quite entrepreneurial for me and my sister,” he noted.
Author: Christian Koehl Germany
