ArcelorMittal postpones stoppage of Fos-sur-Mer blast furnace

ArcelorMittal has postponed the stoppage of the second blast furnace at its Fos-sur-Mer plant in the south of France, Kallanish learns from local trade unions.

The company has one BF idled at the mill since the end of March. It was planning to idle the second furnace at the plant from June, but it now intends to keep it operational at least until July, and maybe for longer.

The anticipated blast furnace idling had in recent weeks raised a lot of concern among ArcelorMittal group workers in other southern European countries, such as Italy and Spain. The postponement of the idling indicates the demand outlook could be improving slightly as most European countries are easing their Covid-19 lockdowns during May.

The Fos-sur-Mer integrated site can produce up to 4 million tonnes/year of crude steel through two blast furnaces. The plant mainly serves Mediterranean markets. The group has another integrated site at Dunkirk in France, where one out of three blast furnaces is currently operating.