3 October 2024, 14.00 CET

The installation was inaugurated on 26 September by Mr Christophe Mirmand, Prefect of Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur Region, Ms Isabelle Campagnola-Savon, President of the Commission for Business, representing Mr Renaud Muselier, President of the Sud Region, and Mr René Raimondi, Mayor of Fos-sur-Mer.

The project was announced in 2021 during a visit by Mr Bruno Le Maire, former French Minister of Economy. Once the ladle furnace is fully commissioned and production is ramped up, the CO₂ emissions of the site will be reduced by around 10%.

The ladle furnace is a steel reheating station. Its successful installation means that the amount of recycled steel (pre-consumer and post-consumer scrap steel) used in the basic oxygen furnace will increase by up to five times the current volumes.

The commissioning of the ladle furnace will reduce the amount of hot metal used by 10% as early as 2025. The new facility includes two ladle stands, each containing more than 330 tons of liquid steel. The liquid steel is heated by three electrodes, to reach the temperature required for the manufacturing process.

The start-up of the ladle furnace marks an important milestone in the site's decarbonisation journey, which involves a major transformation of the steelmaking process. The two-year construction phase for the ladle furnace was completed in the first quarter of 2024 and the new facility has been undergoing tests since the summer. The ladle furnace represents an investment of €76m, including €15m support from the French government as part of France Relance (now part of France 2030 and operated by ADEME).

More than 150 people including contractors were involved during the peak construction phase.

“Thanks to this investment, which we are very proud to inaugurate, the CO₂ emissions of steel produced at Fos-sur-Mer, for the southern Europe market, will be significantly reduced”, declared Bruno Ribo, CEO ArcelorMittal Méditerranée until October 1, 2024. François Sgro, who became CEO ArcelorMittal Méditerranée on 1 October, explained: “The achievements of this project are positive for both the climate and the environment. It is also a very important step for the teams here in ArcelorMittal Fos-sur-Mer, who are proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the site this year”.

The Fos-sur-Mer site produces a range of more than 150 grades of steel, a third of which is used in the automotive sector including safety parts, and electrical steels for electric and hybrid car motors. Two-thirds of the grades are steels for industries including construction, agriculture and energy.