ArcelorMittal invests 100 million euros in the reconstruction of coke oven batteries

ArcelorMittal is investing over € 100 million in the refurbishment of coke oven batteries in Gijón, Spain. The project for the restoration and modernization of existing facilities is designed to be completed within two years. Its implementation should ensure compliance with the environmental requirements defined in the current integrated environmental permit issued for the facility and will include the implementation of the Best Available Techniques (BAT), as defined by a related background document (BREF) that will enter into force in 2016.

The main part of the approved investment plan will focus on the refurbishment of two furnaces at the ArcelorMittal Asturias Coke Plant in Gijón to implement state-of-the-art emission collection and treatment systems established by the state, as well as the implementation of effective management practices for by-products. The refurbishment of coke oven batteries will give first results in mid-2016 and is expected to reach full capacity in 2019.

The project also includes a number of additional investments to modernize equipment at other sites to adapt production processes after restarting the batteries, which are expected to be able to produce the first batch of coke in the first half of 2018. With the commissioning of the coke oven batteries in Gijón, the plant will be able to meet the requirements of blast furnaces.

Jose Manuel Arias, CEO of the Asturias Cluster, stressed the importance of these investments: “The approved investment plan will ensure the production of coke at ArcelorMittal Asturias over the next 40 years, and should also help secure the future of the steel industry in our region.”