A Milan court ordered Acciaierie d’Italia (ADI) to suspend production at its Taranto plant on health grounds, although the ruling will only become effective on 24 August pending required environmental interventions, the industry’s trade unions UILM and FIM-CISL said.
The ruling followed a legal petition from several Taranto citizens.
The court ruling “required the extraordinary administration of ADI to comply with the provisions of the AIA [Integrated Environmental Authorization], under penalty of the suspension of production in the hot-rolling area of the plant,” UILM said.
No information was confirmed regarding the equipment which could be suspended.
“The reference is to the partial, rather than total, non-application of the Integrated AIA, specifically of certain provisions contained therein that the judges are requesting be supplemented,” FIM-CISL said. The union requested clarifications on the matter.
UILM criticized the Italian authorities for lack of communication and clarity on the production and environmental plans for ADI. The union also highlighted that the legal challenges combined with the limited financing make it difficult for ADI’s extraordinary administration to ensure sustainable production.
Earlier this week, ADI temporarily idled blast furnace (BF) No. 4 for maintenance until end of April. BF No. 2 was restarted on 10 February. The steelmaker plans to double steel production to 4 mt/y by end April 2026, and to continue operating two furnaces. But the recent court ruling could disrupt those plans.
ADI is currently in the process of being sold, with Flacks Group, a United States-based investment firm focused on the turnaround of distressed businesses, discussed in the market as a likely new owner. The tender has not yet been finalized.
