ArcelorMittal will invest 1.8 billion euros with the State to decarbonize its Dunkirk site

2024-01-14 16:13:00

The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire announced on Sunday that the steel group ArcelorMittal planned to invest 1.8 billion euros in the decarbonization of its Dunkirk site, which will reduce emissions by almost 6%. of CO2 from the industrial sector in France.

The State will provide aid, validated by the European Union, which might go up to 850 million euros depending on the investments actually made, added Bercy. The timetable for the investments has not been specified, as ArcelorMittal has not yet completely validated them.

This money will make it possible to build two electric furnaces as well as a direct iron reduction unit, the first step in producing carbon-free steel.

A reduction in CO2 emissions of 4.4 million tonnes per year

These installations running on electricity and gas, and eventually hydrogen, will replace furnaces running on coal, which should make it possible to reduce the site’s CO2 emissions by 4.4 million tonnes per year.

Bruno Le Maire will go there on Monday in the company of the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, to sign the State aid contract, carried out under the aegis of the Environment and Management Agency. energy (Ademe).

A letter of intent between the company and EDF will also be presented on this occasion to guarantee the site, identified as one of the 50 industrial sites with the highest greenhouse gas emissions in France, a stable and competitive supply of electricity. .

Bruno Le Maire will travel earlier today to the site of the Gravelines nuclear power plant for his first trip since he took charge of energy in Bercy, thanks to the reshuffle.