The restart ofex Ilva – Today Italian steelworks under extraordinary administration – begins to appear on the horizon. With the aim of bringing production back from the current minimums of one million tonnes to 4 million and then to 6. The starting point is not encouraging, and not only for the minimum production levels but also for the condition of the plants, so as reported by the extraordinary commissioner Giancarlo Quaranta on the sidelines of the presentation ceremony of the stamp in honor of Guido Rossaworker and trade unionistItalsider (later Ilva) of Genoa Cornigliano murdered by Red Brigades in January 1979. Systems which reflect, Quaranta underlined in that same factory, the “non-intervention carried out by the previous administration”.
Sales process starting in July
But the first stages of the restart are imminent, according to the words of the business minister, Adolfo Urso, which announced the start of the process of assigning new investors from the former Ilva: «Next week, from the Genoa Cornigliano plant, cognitive visits to the former Ilva plants by three important international players will begin. By July – he then added – we think we will be able to activate the procedures for the assignment of the plants with a production restoration program which involves the resumption of the second blast furnace of Taranto in October, the reactivation of the third blast furnace in the middle of next year, so as to reach potential production levels of 6 million tonnes, the maximum limit that that plant can achieve today. I believe that within a month it will be possible to release the resources in line with the production recovery programs that the commissioners have set themselves.”
Bridge loan, approval from the EU awaited
In the work of restarting the first push will, in fact, come from bridging loan 320 million for which Urso declared himself confident regarding the green light from the EU: «I spoke the other evening with the commissioner Vestager on the occasion of the event in Catania, we discussed the relaunch plan for Acciaierie d’Italia and the bridging loan that we asked the Commission to authorize. Commissioner Vestager said that she absolutely agrees with everything we have done in this phase for the relaunch of the Italian steel industry and the former Ilva plants and that European authorization will shortly be granted for the resources of the bridge loan to safeguard the plants and to restore their production activity. There is full consensus on the part of the European Commission.”
The state of the systems
The situation of which was photographed by Commissioner Quaranta: «The first part of the management of the extraordinary administration was dedicated to analyzing all the critical issues present in each plant by developing an intervention plan that does not look at the importance of the plants: they are all managed with equal dignity and others Genoa we found a situation in line with the critical issues of all the plants. We find the non-intervention carried out by the previous administration perfectly consistent in all plants.”
Production levels
Production remains the key element to resolve: «The factories in the North have been developed over the years in terms of production capacity based on what was the production of Taranto – Quaranta observed – and in the period 2005-2008 Taranto produced more than 9 million, almost 10 million tonnes, therefore 3 million tonnes of production capacity in the North were compatible with the 7-8 million tonnes of capacity installed in Taranto . Today we find ourselves in a condition that is not the result of the current situation, but derives from the situation found at the time of the takeover of the extraordinary administration, both in terms of the state and reliability of the plants, and in terms of available raw materials. We have chosen to continue production anyway, even if minimal, but in a constant way, in order to be able to dedicate ourselves to recovering the environmental reliability, safety and productivity of the plants and then – concluded Quaranta – gradually increasing production”.
Saitta new general manager
The new general director of Acciaierie d’Italia under extraordinary administration will also take care of this Maurizio Saittadegree in electrical engineering, coming from Edison (and also a past in Indesit and Alfa Acciai): as anticipated yesterday by Courierthe deputy of the general manager Giuseppe Cavalli it was in fact made official within a few hours of the latter’s divorce with Adi in as.
The unions: «Investments now»
Despite the favorable opinion of the European Commission on the bridging loan and the start of inspections of possible investors next week, the unions remain sceptical: «The problems – underlined the delegate Fiom, Armando Palombo – they all remain. We are aware that there is a medium and long-term project, we are waiting for the industrial plan, but it is obvious that the heart of production is Taranto, which can produce 6 million authorized tons, and the North can process half of that. But if, as happens today, production is one million, the consequence is logical. If Taranto makes a million tons, a certain amount of money enters this “family”: to reach equilibrium, or with income equal to expenditure, it would have to reach at least three million. If the revenue is lower it cannot last. We expect a plan. Even for buyers, it is fine for them to come and visit, but remembering that whoever buys takes a group under seizure, with the commissioners. Let’s bring production to acceptable levels, if as announced, with the second blast furnace we reach 4 million and more money comes in than we have to spend, then we can think about increasing wages, maintenance and more, but adequate production is needed. We’re not going anywhere with a blast furnace.” For Nicola Appicedelegate Fim Cisl«after having restored trade union relations, the main objective is the investments and maintenance of a plant that ArcelorMittal he left in a dire situation. It will be difficult to put together everything that has not been restored in recent years. The importance of spare parts arriving and investments being made in the plants is vital for the recovery. Making assessments on the announced investors is premature.”
