A fire broke out at one of the pickling lines of Spanish stainless steel producer Acerinox S.A.’s Cadiz plant on September 29. While the blaze caused significant damage to equipment and facilities, no serious injuries were reported and Acerinox has claimed that the incident will not affect the plant’s operations, according to local media reports.
Although the flames were extinguished in under three hours, efforts to secure the area and fully eliminate hotspots continued for hours afterward. The damage was concentrated on the pickling line itself, much of which was consumed by the flames and rendered unusable. In addition, part of the warehouse roof suffered structural damage. In terms of human impact, one worker required treatment for smoke inhalation, but firefighters confirmed the injury was minor and the worker was discharged shortly after.
The cause of the fire has not yet been disclosed, and neither the company nor the local authorities have revealed the economic cost of the damage. However, industry sources suggest the incident will have a significant impact on the operations of the Cadiz plant.
Local media stated that rebuilding the destroyed units could take up to six months, though Acerinox itself has not issued a timeline or financial assessment. The company confirmed that its technical teams have begun evaluating the full extent of the damage and that a contingency plan was activated immediately.