The first three production lines at ArcelorMittal France’s new electrical steel unit in Mardyck, near Dunkirk, are scheduled to become operational by the end of 2025, Kallanish reports.
The three lines which are part of phase 1 of the project include a preparation line, the annealing coating line, and the slitting line.
The investment, supported by €25 million ($29.06m) from the French state under the France 2030 programme, is aimed at meeting increasing demand for high-performance electrical steels used in electric motors for automotive, industrial and energy applications.
By 2027, the site will have five new production lines in operation. Civil engineering work is underway for phase 2 of the project, which includes an annealing pickling line and a reversible rolling mill.
Once fully operational, the unit will significantly increase ArcelorMittal’s production of ultra-thin electrical steels, complementing output from its Saint-Chély-d’Apcher site.
“I will feel great emotion when the first of the 155,000 tonnes of electrical steel we will ultimately deliver each year comes off the lines,” ceo of ArcelorMittal France Bruno Ribo says in a note seen by Kallanish.
“With this new production unit… ArcelorMittal’s electrical steel production capacity in Europe will reach 295,000 tonnes per year. All of ArcelorMittal’s electrical steels in Europe will be produced in France, strengthening the French ecosystem around electromobility and the energy transition,” he adds.
The company says the project strengthens its ability to supply materials critical to Europe’s electrification push, particularly in electric vehicles and renewable-energy systems, while reinforcing its industrial base in the Hauts-de-France region.
This $500m investment is ArcelorMittal’s largest in Europe in the past ten years, the company notes.
Natalia Capra France
