Acciaierie d’Italia faces Taranto shutdown order over pollution

Taranto city mayor Rinaldo Melucci has given Acciaierie d’Italia (ADI) 30 days to reduce the peaks of benzene emissions from the hot end-area at the steelmaker’s facility in Taranto.

In the new order obtained by Kallanish, the city council refers to health risks coming from “the increased level of benzene in the air due to the operation of the steelworks”. It orders ADI’s management to select the equipment responsible for the emissions and to carry out the necessary works to reverse the rising trend of the benzene leak.

Should an effective solution to the issue not be taken, the city council orders “the stop of the hot end area, particularly the blast furnaces, the coke area and the melt shops within a reasonable period of time to guarantee safety and not beyond 60 days from [the reception] of this letter”.

“This new order risks the collapse of the former Ilva if immediate answers are not received from the ministries responsible for the environmental and industrial future [of the plant] … This transitional phase, pending the transfer of the majority stake to Invitalia … is creating problems above all in the management of the plants which, due to the lack of planning of ordinary and extraordinary maintenance activities, do not guarantee adequate production levels or suitable environmental standards,” the FIOM unions say in a document.

The environmental works at Taranto have been almost completed in full, but critical issues remain unresolved as the Taranto judiciary is refusing to lift the seizure of the equipment.

In 2021, the Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale (TAR) Puglia already gave the company 60 days to shut down the hot-end at Taranto due to excessive emissions. At the time, the Italian Council of State ruled that ArcelorMittal Italia did not have to shut down the plant. ADI, a joint venture between state company Invitalia and ArcelorMittal, restarted this month blast furnace No.2 at Taranto which has been idled since July.

The group produced 3.5 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022. It is currently operating with BFs Nos.1, 2 and 4. In the second half of 2023, it will start the refurbishment of blast furnace no.5, which has been idle for several years, and begin construction of an electric arc furnace. Last year, ADI generated revenue of €3.9 billion ($4.2 billion) and a positive Ebitda of €327 million. In 2021, ADI posted a turnover of €3.3 billion, up from €1.6 billion in 2020. In 2021, it produced 4.1mt of crude steel, an increase from 3.4mt in 2020.

ArcelorMittal owns 62% of ADI, while the remaining 38% is held by state-owned investment vehicle Invitalia. According to the 2020 agreement between the two partners, Invitalia’s shareholding in the steelmaker will be raised to 60% next year (see Kallanish passim).  

Contacted by Kallanish, the company declined to comment.

Natalia Capra France