ArcelorMittal de España will suspend steel production at its plant in Gijon in northwestern Spain for a week due to the current level of demand, a company spokesman said. The decision is related, in particular, to the portfolio of orders for steel wire.
The stop started on September 28 and will last until October 3. According to a company representative, this is one of several short-term stops that the company has already undertaken in 2026, usually for about a week.
In the first half of the year, one of the plant's two blast furnaces, Furnace B with a capacity of 1.1 million tons per year, was decommissioned for four months due to a production failure following maintenance in 2025.
On September 29, ArcelorMittal also confirmed plans to launch a new electric arc furnace in Gijon with a capacity of 1.1 million tons per year in 2026. It will provide raw materials to two rolling mills and run on a mixture of direct reduction cast iron, hot briquetted cast iron and scrap metal.
The Spanish Steel Industry Association Unesco, which represents the interests of ArcelorMittal and other major steel producers in the country, said on September 22 that the industry will face rising energy costs by the end of the year.
According to the organization, from September to December, additional costs will amount to 452 million euros, and from January to August they have already reached 206 million euros. The increase in costs is associated, in particular, with an increase of 20 euros per MWh in network balancing fees.
"Rising costs are already affecting business activity," the association said in a statement. "Companies suspend production during peak electricity prices, a practice that may become more common if current price levels persist."
Unesco called for immediate measures, including an increase in financing for compensation of indirect costs of CO2 emissions in 2026 to the maximum allowed by European regulations of 1 billion euros. According to the association, this would help support industrial activity and ensure the predictability of energy conditions for 2027.
According to Platts, imports of hot-rolled coils in Northern Europe were estimated at 585 euros per ton CIF in Antwerp, and in Southern Europe at 580 euros per ton CIF. Both indicators remained unchanged compared to the previous day.
