ArcelorMittal to End Primary Steelmaking at Duisburg Site by 2027 Amid Economic Pressures

ArcelorMittal has announced plans to cease primary steel production at its Duisburg-Ruhrort site in Germany by October 2027, closing the steelworks, continuous casting facility, and billet rolling mill while retaining the wire rod mill. This decision affects around 550 of the site's approximately 800 jobs and stems primarily from the expiration of a long-standing pig iron supply contract with thyssenkrupp Steel in September 2027, which the company terminated in December 2024 due to significantly rising costs, including carbon-related expenses. Alternative supply options proved economically unviable. The company intends to source semi-finished billets externally, including from its lower-carbon DRI-EAF facility in Hamburg. Multiple German and industry outlets, including SteelOrbis, Eurometal, Rheinische Post, WDR, and BILD, reported the development in early September 2026, confirming supervisory board approval is still pending and social consultations with workers (via IG Metall) are set to begin. This move aligns with broader challenges in Germany's steel sector, where crude steel output has declined sharply since 2018. It follows ArcelorMittal's 2025 decision to abandon green steel conversion plans at sites in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt, citing prohibitive energy costs and uncertainties despite €1.3 billion in offered subsidies, as reported by Reuters, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and FAZ. Other firms like thyssenkrupp and Salzgitter continue hydrogen-based projects with substantial public funding. The Duisburg shift highlights mounting pressures from energy prices, CO2 costs, weak demand, and global competition, underscoring difficulties in decarbonizing European heavy industry without viable economics.