ArcelorMittal further expands scrap access through acquisition

ArcelorMittal has acquired Riwald Recycling, a ferrous scrap business based in the Netherlands, further expanding its access to scrap feedstock, Kallanish notes.

The transaction is expected to be concluded by the end of January 2023. It is the third acquisition of a scrap business in recent months by ArcelorMittal, following the purchase of facilities from Alba International and the acquisition of John Lawrie Metals.

“This is the third metal recycling acquisition we have undertaken this year [2022], reinforcing the important role that scrap steel can play in our efforts to decarbonise and meet our target to reduce the carbon intensity of the steel we produce in Europe by 35% by 2030,” says Geert Van Poelvoorde, chief executive of ArcelorMittal Europe. “Securing access to the raw materials – scrap steel and direct reduced iron – required for low-carbon emissions steelmaking has a very important role to play.”

Riwald was founded in 1989 and operated two yards in Almelo and Beverwijk. In 2021, Riwald processed some 330,000 tonnes of ferrous scrap. Overall, the operations acquired this year by ArcelorMittal processed some 1 million tonnes of steel scrap in 2021.

“In its second climate action report, published in July last year, ArcelorMittal outlined five levers which will enable the Company to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050, one of which was increased use of scrap steel,” the company explains.

“As well as using scrap in an electric arc furnace, the company can increase the use of low-quality scrap in the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace steelmaking process by improving steel scrap sorting and classification, installing scrap pre-melting technology and adjusting the steelmaking process to accommodate scrap,” it concludes.

Emanuele Norsa Italy