Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel (tkES) is set to cut back and partially shut down its production in the fiscal year through September 2026, Kallanish hears from parent thyssenkrupp Steel.
Starting mid-December, the plants in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and Isbergues in France will be fully closed down until the end of the year. In addition, the Isbergues site will operate at just 50% of its total capacity for at least four months beginning in January. This is in response to the massively increased inflow of low-priced imports of grain-oriented electrical steel, especially from Asia, the parent states.
The European market for grain-oriented electrical steel is currently under severe pressure, driven by sharply rising import volumes priced well below the average production costs in the EU, tk Steel says. Since 2022, imports have tripled, and rose a further 50% in 2025. These developments have led to a dramatic shift in customer orders and, as a result, to substantial underutilisation of the European production facilities, the company explains.
It notes that the market for grain-oriented electrical steel nevertheless remains attractive, with studies forecasting global demand to treble by 2050.
“Grain-oriented electrical steel is an indispensable element for Europe’s energy infrastructure and the energy transition,” says thyssenkrupp Steel chief executive Marie Jaroni. She stresses the company is firmly committed to maintaining production in Europe. TkES employs approximately 1,200 people at the sites in Gelsenkirchen and Isbergues.
