Acciaierie d’Italia stops disputed coke battery for revamp

Coke battery no.12 at Acciaierie d’Italia’s steelworks in Taranto, formerly known as ArcelorMittal Italia and previously Ilva, has been idled due to environmental upgrade works, the company confirms to Kallanish.

Production stopped on 1 September and work will last for a few months. The coke battery will be put back into operation by the end of the year.

The Lazio region administrative court, Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale (TAR) Lazio, ordered in July the shutdown of coke battery no.12 at the Taranto steelworks by 31 August due to excess emissions (see Kallanish passim). It ordered the steelmaker to perform a revamp of the equipment, keeping the threshold of fine dusts to 25 grams per tonne of coke.

The company will have to improve ventilation and install filters for chimney E428, Kallanish hears from a source close to the steelmaker.

Earlier this year, Italy’s ecological transition ministry ordered Acciaierie d’Italia by ministerial decree to reduce emissions of the coke plant by 30 June. Acciaierie d’Italia appealed to extend the deadline to January 2022 but the Lazio court refused.

Natalia Capra France