Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal has obtained an environmental permit from the Principality of Asturias to build its new industrial steel-powder production plant in Avilés, northern Spain, according to local media reports. The approval marks a major step in the company’s strategy to diversify its operations and boost value-added, low-emission production in northern Spain.
The new plant will rely on recycled scrap and renewable power sources and will use an electric arc furnace to recycle scrap steel and a high-pressure inert gas atomizer to convert molten steel into high-grade steel powders for industrial 3D-printing and advanced engineering applications. It is expected to have an annual production capacity of around 1,800 mt with grades including 316L, 430L, 17-4PH, tool-steels H11, H13, M300 and low-alloy steels, which will support the emerging demand from aerospace, defense, automotive, medical devices and energy applications.
Strategic significance
The Avilés steel-powder plant represents ArcelorMittal’s entry into the high-value market of additive-manufacturing materials. By integrating scrap-based EAF steel with powder production, the company is creating a fully circular, low-carbon production chain within Europe.
