ArcelorMittal announces investment of €300 million in Mardyck, France, to produce electrical steels for industry and electromobility

Rhea-AI Summary

ArcelorMittal is investing over €300 million, backed by the French government, to establish a new production unit for electrical steels at its Mardyck site in northern France. This project will create 100+ jobs and is set to enhance the production capacity for electric vehicle engines. The facility, with a capacity of 200,000 tonnes, aims to support France's electromobility sector and align with EU CO2 emission reduction goals. The new unit will commence operations in 2024, reinforcing ArcelorMittal's commitment to sustainable steel production.

Positive

• Investment of over €300 million to boost production capacity.
• Creation of more than 100 direct jobs.
• Production unit will contribute to EU's CO2 emission reduction goals.
• Strengthening of France’s electromobility sector.

Negative

• None.

17 March 2022

ArcelorMittal has announced an investment of more than €300m, with the support of the French government, to create a new production unit for electrical steels at its Mardyck site in the north of France. This investment will create more than 100 direct jobs. With this new unit, which will specialise in the production of electrical steels for the engines of electric vehicles and which complements ArcelorMittal’s existing electrical steels plant in Saint-Chély d’Apcher, in the south of France, all of the group's electrical steels will be produced in France, strengthening France’s electromobility sector.

The new production unit, which will be located on the existing ArcelorMittal site in Mardyck near Dunkirk, will produce the electrical steels used in electric motors in general (including for industrial machinery) and for electric and hybrid vehicles in particular.

These steels, which are used in engines in the form of stacks of very thin layers (0.2 to 0.35 millimeters for the automotive industry), are characterised by their magnetic and mechanical properties: high polarisation to maximise engine performance, low losses to promote vehicle autonomy, and high yield strength to support engine rotation.

The new industrial unit in Mardyck will have a 200,000-tonne production capacity and is scheduled to start up in 2024. It will strengthen the French electromobility sector, which is particularly well established in France, especially in the Hauts de France region and in Dunkirk where numerous industrial projects have been announced in recent months. As part of this contribution to the electromobility sector, ArcelorMittal’s electrical steels will contribute to achieving the European Union’s goals on the reduction of CO2 emissions from mobility. This project is supported by the French government as part of France 2030. 

Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Minister Delegate for Industry, commented: “This major investment decision comes one month after the announcement of the steel decarbonisation project in Dunkirk and Fos, to which the Prime Minister gave the State's support. This project will contribute to our goal of carbon neutrality in 2050, while allowing us to strengthen our steel production capacities. It is another example of our industrial renaissance thanks to the policy of the President of the Republic."

Eric Niedziela, Chairman of ArcelorMittal France and Vice President Climate Action ArcelorMittal Europe, commented: “With this new production unit, ArcelorMittal will be able to support its customers in their developments, and support the development of electromobility. Keeping the capacity to produce the steels of the future in Europe and in France is an essential part of our economic sovereignty, and I am pleased that the French government is supporting us in this investment through France Relance”.

Matthieu Jehl, CEO of ArcelorMittal France, commented: “This is a new chapter for our site in Mardyck, and for ArcelorMittal in France as a whole. These electrical steels are a great technical challenge, which our teams are ready to take up in order to continue to serve our customers with highly technical steels, manufactured in France”.

Ends

FAQ

What is ArcelorMittal's recent investment in electrical steels?

ArcelorMittal announced an investment of over €300 million to create a production unit for electrical steels at its Mardyck site.

How many jobs will the new ArcelorMittal production unit create?

The new production unit will create more than 100 direct jobs.

When is the new production unit at Mardyck expected to start operations?

The new production unit is scheduled to start operations in 2024.

What is the production capacity of the new electrical steels unit?

The new unit will have a production capacity of 200,000 tonnes.

How does this investment support the EU's environmental goals?

The project contributes to reducing CO2 emissions from mobility, aligning with the European Union's environmental objectives.