ArcelorMittal Florange shutters coke plant

ArcelorMittal’s coking plant in Florange, France, will halt production at the end of April, with the aim of final closure as soon as possible. This is a consequence of the slowing output at the steelmaker’s Dunkirk site, which significantly reduces the company’s need for coke.

“Given the investment plan to reduce its CO₂ emissions by more than -30% by 2030, ArcelorMittal France’s coke requirement is set to fall and the Dunkirk site could become self-sufficient indefinitely,” ArcelorMittal says in a note seen by Kallanish. The company will reallocate the 170 employees of the Florange coke plant to other departments.

In recent weeks, the Covid-19 crisis has deeply disrupted ArcelorMittal France’s commercial and economic environment. Demand has slowed abruptly in many market segments, including the automotive sector and the construction industry. Demand for food packaging steel however remains strong, the company says.