ArcelorMittal prepares revamp stoppage at Spain-based ACB

ArcelorMittal is preparing to temporarily halt activities for a revamp of its Acería Compacta de Bizkaia (ACB) plant in Sestao, northern Spain. The work will expand output and reduce CO2 emissions resulting from production processes to less than 500kg per tonne of steel.

The start of the engineering works at the electric arc furnace-based plant is subject to a reorganisation, which is under discussion with the steelmaker’s workforce, the steelmaker tells Kallanish.

“We are advancing on social dialogue with workforce representatives to reach an agreement that lays the foundation for the future of ArcelorMittal Sestao, as a world leader in decarbonisation,” the company explains. “The planned works have been brought forward by a month, partly due to the current highs in electricity prices. Employees have been informed that production activities will be halted until early 2022.”

The upgrade is part of ArcelorMittal’s investment to expand the plant’s steel production capacity to 1.6 million tonnes/year by 2023.

The upgrade will also enable ACB to manufacture ArcelorMittal’s so-called XCarb steel from the second quarter of 2022. This product is made by the EAF method using recycled scrap and 100% renewable electricity.

In July, the company announced that ACB will become the world’s first full-scale zero carbon-emissions steel plant (see Kallanish passim).

Todor Kirkov Bulgaria