The process for the sale of Italian steel producer Acciaierie d’Italia has attracted the interest of 15 national and international industrial groups, Italian minister of enterprises Adolfo Urso has confirmed, as reported by local Italian media. The tender, launched by the commissioners for Acciaierie d’Italia, Fiori, Quaranta, and Tabarelli, in July this year, invites bids for the acquisition of the entire group or individual assets. Only three groups - Vulcan Steel, Stelco, and Baku Steel - seem to have expressed interest in acquiring the entire company. Others, like Marcegaglia, have focused on specific plants, keeping alive the possibility of a piecemeal sale.
Nippon Steel, which was mentioned as a potential bidder, has not submitted a formal expression of interest, but it could still re-enter the race later on, possibly through alliances with other groups. Arvedi and Metinvest are not officially involved yet either, although they have visited the plants in the past.
The tender requires binding bids to be submitted by the end of November. Bids must include key details such as the scope of the operation, the industrial plan, employment guarantees, environmental sustainability plans, and the proposed price. A crucial aspect is the decarbonization plan, which is a fundamental requirement: the lack of such a plan will lead to the automatic exclusion of the bid. The commissioners estimate that the sale could yield around €1.5 billion. After the binding bids are submitted, there may be additional bidding rounds if there are multiple interested parties.
The sale process for Acciaierie d’Italia is now in a decisive phase, with several industrial groups showing interest and significant attention being paid to environmental, social, and economic factors. The priority appears to be the preservation of the group’s integrity and ensuring continuous production, while avoiding solutions that could jeopardize the long-term sustainability of the plants.
