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ArcelorMittal to Rebuild Liège Steel Plant
10/11/2007 - ArcelorMittal announced plans to rebuild an integrated steel plant in Liège, Belgium, a move the company says was prompted by stronger-than-expected demand in the region.
ArcelorMittal announced plans to rebuild an integrated steel plant in Liège, Belgium. The company says the decision was prompted by stronger-than-expected demand in the region.
The company is currently organizing the investments necessary to refire the Seraing blast furnace. The company also says it must take additional measures to bring the Liège steekworks’ production costs on par with the Group’s other European plants. Continuation of production in Liège is also subject to the sustained availability of the necessary CO2 quota.
ArcelorMittal unveiled its industrial plan for the Liège region to management and staff representatives. The overview addressed plans for the steelworks’ upstream and downstream activities, including the cold phase and packaging areas, as well as plans for R&D efforts and the facility’s contribution to the economic redeployment of the region. Management and staff representatives agreed to pursue dialogue on the various aspects of this plan.
Regarding the downstream activities, ArcelorMittal intends to focus Liège on high-return, high-technology activities, such as Arceo, its prototype plasma vacuum coating line. Management pointed to the very negative evolution of the packaging market and to the need to reduce packaging steel exports and the Liège-based production of this product.
ArcelorMittal also announced its intention to expand its R&D facilities in Liège, so as to give the region a strong innovative impetus to attract new industrial activities. The Group has also confirmed its contribution to the economic redeployment of the Liège region on the basis of local partnerships and of the experience acquired over the past four years, e.g. the creation of Magnetto Automotive Belgium and spinoffs. Under an ArcelorMittal mandate, Sodie to date has signed 107 conventions for a total of 1700 new jobs—of which 650 have already been created.
“In view of the new bases for social dialogue, rooted in trust and transparency, it was important for us to discuss the new industrial plan in the framework of constructive consultation between social partners,” said Michel Wurth, member of ArcelorMittal’s Group Management Board. “Our ambition for Liège is to rebuild an integrated steel plant based on high return and high technology products.”
ArcelorMittal is the world's largest steel company, with 320,000 employees in more than 60 countries. The company leads a number of major global markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. An industrial presence in 27 European, Asian, African and American countries exposes the company to key steel markets, from emerging to mature, positions it will be looking to develop in the high-growth Chinese and Indian markets.
ArcelorMittal’s key pro-forma financials for 2006 show combined revenues of USD 88.6 billion, with a crude steel production of 118 million tonnes, representing around 10% of world steel output.
