Crisis mood at the Bremen steel mill: What will become of the workplaces?

Crisis mood at the Bremen steel mill: What will become of the workplaces?

In bremen it is bubbling: The largest steel producer in the world, ArcelorMittal, has decided to first put his billion -dollar project to switch to “green” hydrogen in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt. This decision not only caused frowning, but also made politics excited. As Buten un inland , the parliamentary point of view of the citizens' parties see an approach, more about the future of the Bremen Stahlwerk in this invitation from the Arcelormittal board experience.

The SPD parliamentary group leader Mustafa Güngör expresses the desire for a clear future plan to modernize the blast furnaces. Emmanuel Hermann from the Greens also wants information about the investments for the Bremen location. CDU parliamentary group leader Wiebke Winter hopes that the employees will finally get clarity about their situation, while Klaus-Rainer Rupp demands concrete answers to reduce CO2 emissions. He sees the rejection of funding by ArcelorMittal as an insult to Bremen.

a heavy blow for the steel industry

The background of this turbulence is to put the decision of ArcelorMittal, despite promised funding of 1.3 billion euros, for the time being to reduce CO2 emissions about hydrogen. As reported Tagesschau.de , the company justifies this step with the lack of economy and the currently insufficient availability of hydrogen. This development also shakes the CO2 reduction targets by 2030, which not only gets those responsible in the steel industry, but also the general public.

The Mayor of Bremen described the decision as a "severe blow" for the business location and those affected. Compared to other manufacturers, the industry has so far only received sparse support, while for example, Thyssenkrupp Steel continues to plan a direct reduction system in Duisburg.

opportunities and challenges for green steel

The discussion about "Greens" steel is further stimulated by a current meta study by the LBST on behalf of the DWV specialist commission Hysteel. This study, such as lbst.de , illuminates the challenges, opportunities and solutions for emission-free steel production in Germany until 2045. A central point is the necessary political support for the steel industry, especially with the necessary investments in Hydrogen infrastructure and renewable energies. Without these framework conditions, the industry will have difficulty positioning itself.

The Reje topics around ArcelorMittal impressively show the tensions between economic realities and the climate target. The steel industry faces major challenges, and how those responsible react here could be crucial for the future of the Bremen location. It remains to be seen whether and how ArcelorMittal will position itself and what answers the politicians can find on the pressing questions.