Industeel, an ArcelorMittal group, will build revolutionary and unique equipment in Le Creusot (Saône-et-Loire): a vertical continuous caster, the first in the world.
A record investment of 52 million euros.
The most important since the 19th century in the cradle of the industrial revolution in continental Europe.
The objective is to produce even more carbon-free steels thanks to this tool which will be installed in a building almost 50 m high located in the extension of the steelworks.
The vertical continuous casting process was not favored in the 1980s. Today, with the obligations to produce ever greener steels in order to meet the needs of the industry, this technique will save a lot of money. energy.
It will partly replace ingot casting.
“With this equipment we are entering a new era of ecological and energy transition, with steels intended for multiple applications in manufacturing or storage, such as biofuels, geothermal energy, fertilizers and even automobiles.
But also for civil nuclear power,” explains Sandra Le Manchet, head of the Research and Development department at Industeel.
With greater performance, quality and competitiveness, the steelmaking establishment announces an annual gain of 6,000 tonnes of CO2, or 10% of its 2019 emissions. Industeel is recognized for producing the greenest steels in Europe, notably by favoring electricity over gas to heat the metal, melt it and make it liquid.
The first pour is planned for May 2025.