Overview
- ArcelorMittal announced it will abandon decarbonization efforts at its Eisenhüttenstadt and Bremen sites, foregoing €1.3 billion in approved subsidies.
- The Eisenhüttenstadt works council backed the move, warning that investment in CO₂-reduced production would jeopardize plant viability under current market conditions.
- The company pointed to high electricity prices, scarce green hydrogen, unclear regulatory frameworks and pressure from cheap imports as insurmountable barriers.
- Competitors Thyssenkrupp Steel and Salzgitter AG remain committed to their green steel transitions, with multi-billion-euro projects set to replace blast furnaces by 2030.
- Energy and finance ministers have called for lower power prices and trade negotiations with China to safeguard Germany’s steel industry competitiveness.