Acciaierie d'Italia restarts second blast furnace in Taranto

Ceremony for the re-ignition of blast furnace AFO/1

On Tuesday, October 15, Acciaierie d’Italia (ADI) will hold a ceremony at its Taranto plant to mark the re-ignition of blast furnace AFO/1. Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and Giancarlo Quaranta, Extraordinary Commissioner of Acciaierie d'Italia, will attend the event.

According to the press invitation, "the reactivation of the blast furnace is a significant milestone in Acciaierie d’Italia’s restart plan, reaffirming the commitment of the Extraordinary Commissioners, the Italian Government, and the company to restoring production at the steel plant."

Status of the blast furnaces

Blast furnace AFO/1 has been offline since August 2023 for maintenance. With its reactivation, two blast furnaces will now be operational at the plant, Italy’s only fully integrated steel production site capable of creating new steel from iron ore and coal.

Reactions and controversies

Meanwhile, protests from labor unions and environmental groups persist, citing concerns over the plant’s environmental impact and potential health risks for workers and local residents.

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