The ladle furnace is a steel reheating station in which the amount of recycled steel in the finished product will increase 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.