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The first signature that lays the foundations for the relaunch of Piombino, the second Italian steelmaking center after Taranto, has arrived. At the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, the memorandum of understanding with the Tuscany Region, the Municipality of Piombino and with the new investors, the Ukrainian Metinvest group and the Friulian Danieli group, was signed today evening, 17 January. Within four months – the protocol states – the program agreement will be signed.
The project, promoted by the Government, is to create a green integrated steelmaking hub, placing alongside the former Lucchini steelworks, now Jsw Steel Italy of the Indian Jindal group, a new steelworks with a production capacity of around three million tonnes built precisely from the Metinvest-Danieli joint venture, leader in sector technologies.
The investment in the new plant is estimated at two billion euros and would allow the production of long steels (rails), JSW’s specialization, and flat steels (hot rolled coils), in the same area by the sea, signed Metinvest. The resources to carry out the project will come from “external funding and government grants”.
“Today’s agreement marks a crucial step for the relaunch of the Piombino hub – states the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso – which will take on an increasingly central role in the context of the national steel plan, together with the Taranto, Terni and the steelworks of northern Italy”. The Government’s objective is “oriented towards a competitive, sustainable and cutting-edge steel industry – adds Urso – a real engine of growth and development for our production system and for the excellence of Made in Italy”.
In the next few days the institutions will sign a second agreement with the Indians of JSW, called to release part of the industrial areas (on some the state concession has expired) to allow the investment of Metinvest-Danieli which will be developed on approximately 260 hectares, and to confirm investments of over 500 million euros for the revamping of the rail train and for the electric oven.