ARCELORMITTAL SIGNS CONTRACT WITH SARRALLE TO BUILD NEW ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE IN SPAIN

ArcelorMittal Asturias has signed a contract with industrial engineering company Sarralle, to build a new electric arc furnace (EAF) in Gijón, as part of the company’s decarbonisation plan for Spain.

Civil works on the site will start early next year. Once the new, 1.1 million tonnes EAF is operational – which is expected in the final quarter of 2025 - the site will be able to switch to producing low carbon-emissions steel for the long products sector, specifically rails and wire rod, making the site highly competitive, in particular for sectors with stringent carbon criteria for public procurement contracts.

Currently, these products are made via the blast furnace route. In addition, a de-dusting system and waste heat recovery unit will be installed by Sarralle, as part of the project and in order to maximise energy efficiency in the new EAF.

The European Union’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy forecasts that by 2030, both high-speed rail traffic and freight traffic will increase by 50%; by 2050, high-speed rail traffic is expected to have tripled, and freight traffic will have increased by 100%. The new facility in Gijon will be well-placed to support the increasing demand for rails, in particular rails made from low carbon-emissions steel, under the EU Green Deal.