French authorities support Marcegaglia Group’s purchase of the former Ascometal plant in Fos-sur-Mer and its investment plans for the site, the company’s co-owner and CEO Antonio Marcegaglia said.
“I learned from my French counterparts that the central authorities consider this project a landmark,” he said at the American Iron and Steel Institute’s (AIST) European Steel Forum in Udine, Italy. Kallanish attended the event.
Marcegaglia said the company was fortunate to have the support of decision-makers. This is particularly important for promising decarbonisation projects. The technological modernisation of three steelmaking plants in France has been granted “national strategic project” status, he noted.
The Marcegaglia Fos-sur-Mer project, in particular, “shows that this is possible even in an old industry”. The electric arc furnace to be built with Danieli will be the first new steelmaking facility in France in 50 years, Kallanish understands.
Marcegaglia said the project was progressing “quite quickly by European standards”, but added with a smile: “The Chinese would laugh at that.”
The acquisition of the French plant changed the Marcegaglia Group’s approach to business. “For more than 60 years, our model was based on independent steel processing,” he said. The company is now integrating production upstream and adding its own steelmaking operations to the business.
Looking back on the decision to bid for the plant, Marcegaglia called it “quite an entrepreneurial move” for himself and his sister.
Author: Christian Köl, Germany