ArcelorMittal Fos-sur-Mer has commissioned its ladle furnace

According to the french steel company the commissioning is an important milestone in the French site's contribution to the steel industry's energy transition. Once the ladle furnace is fully commissioned and production is ramped up, the CO2 emissions of the site will be reduced by around 10%.

The ladle furnace is a steel reheating station in which the amount of recycled steel in the finished product will increase up to five times the current volumes. The commissioning of the ladle furnace will reduce the amount of hot metal used by 10% as early as 2025. The new facility includes two ladle stands, each containing more than 330 tons of liquid steel. The liquid steel is heated by three electrodes, to reach the temperature required for the manufacturing process.
According to ArcelorMittal, the start-up of the ladle furnace marks an important milestone in the site's decarbonisation journey, which involves a major transformation of the steelmaking process. The two-year construction phase for the ladle furnace was completed in the first quarter of 2024 and the new facility has been undergoing tests since the summer. The ladle furnace represents an investment of €76m, including €15m support from the French government.
The Fos-sur-Mer site produces a range of more than 150 grades of steel, a third of which is used in the automotive sector including safety parts, and electrical steels for electric and hybrid car motors. Two-thirds of the grades are steels for industries including construction, agriculture and energy.
Source: ArcelorMittal