On the evening of July 29, Acciaierie d’Italia under Extraordinary Administration (AdI in AS) issued a statement emphasizing that the use of a regasification vessel for the Taranto plant is closely linked to the production configuration that will be chosen for the future of the site.
The so-called Option A, which foresees the “green” reconversion of the site, would require a substantial amount of natural gas to power the three electric arc furnaces, the four direct reduced iron (DRI) plants, and the four carbon capture units included in the plan, in addition to partially operating existing plants. According to AdI in AS estimates, the total requirement would amount to 5.1 billion cubic meters (Bcm) of gas per year, while the current distribution network, as confirmed by Snam, can only guarantee 2 Bcm. To bridge this gap, the option of using a floating regasification terminal is being considered.
In the meantime, the local political context has become more complex following the resignation of Taranto’s mayor Piero Bitetti, announced on July 30 amid renewed controversy surrounding the former Ilva site. The decision came on the eve of a public assembly, convened on the same day with the Apulia Region and local institutions, to discuss the next steps of the decarbonization plan, which is now seen as even more urgent.
The data disclosed by AdI in AS is consistent with calculations previously made by Prof. Carlo Mapelli, former board member of the company, who had estimated that producing 10 million metric tons of DRI per year would require approximately 2.7 Bcm of gas, to which just over 2 Bcm per year for the electric furnaces must be added, bringing the total to 4.7 Bcm per year, already beyond the capacity currently declared by Snam. When the consumption of existing facilities and carbon capture units is also factored in, the figure reaches the 5.1 Bcm per year indicated by AdI in AS.
As previously reported by SteelOrbis on July 4, the regasification terminal project remains an essential element for the launch of the decarbonization strategy and the relaunch of the Taranto plant. AdI in AS reiterated its readiness to maintain dialogue with all stakeholders, based on transparency and verifiable data.