Advertisement

Italy proposes new plan to rescue Taranto's ArcelorMittal steel plant

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Italy proposes new plan to rescue Taranto's ArcelorMittal steel plant
The steel plant in Taranto. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP

Italy is negotiating a new plan to save the Taranto steel plant, involving partial state ownership, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said.

Advertisement

"What I can say, without revealing secrets, is that the participation of public companies is anticipated," Conte said at an energy presentation in Rome on Monday.

It is Europe's largest integrated steelmaking site, and employs more than 8,000 workers.

READ ALSO: 'We're facing a disaster': Deal to sell southern Italy's toxic steelworks falls through

"We are ready to do our part to make this plan more efficient and credible. And make the industrial plan even more sustainable," Conte added.

Last month, ArcelorMittal - the world's biggest steelmaker - pulled out of an agreement to buy struggling Italian firm Ilva and said it planned to cut 5,000 jobs after Italian lawmakers revoked a period of legal immunity to bring the heavily-polluted site up to environmental standards.

Since then, Italy has been trying to find a way to save the Taranto plant in the south of Italy which has long been mired in controversy over its environmental impact.

Experts believe that some 7,500 people have died in the surrounding area as a result of diseases linked to toxic emissions.

READ ALSO: Italy steel plant blamed for spike in child cancer cases

The steelworks, commonly referred to in Italy as "ex-Ilva" as it was formerly owned by the Ilva company, has long been mired in controversy and uncertainty.

Italy considers the steel mill a strategic industrial site and faces pressure from unions concerned about jobs in a region where poverty and unemployment levels are above the national average.

Economic Development Minister Stefano Patuanelli said the state had a role to play, along with ArcelorMittal.

"The state must be the responsible for the application of the industrial plan ... and control the actions of the private shareholder," Patuanelli said.

La Repubblica reported that the new 3.2 billion euro proposal would include the participation of a state-owned bank, the state-owned gas firm SNAM, as well as steel company Arvedi. The latter would help bring needed tech innovation to the Taranto site.

The newspaper reported that the state wants to limit layoffs to 1,800 workers, with a plan in place to subsidise their hiring by other companies.

AcelorMittal began leasing the plant - with an obligation to buy it – late in 2018 and had plans to invest 2.4 billion euros to revive it, including 1.2 billion euros intended to curb pollution by 2024.

READ ALSO: The towering task of cleaning up Taranto's toxic steel plant

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also