Italy-based steelmaker Feralpi Group’s German rebar subsidiary Feralpi Stahl has announced that it has officially inaugurated its new spooler rolling mill in Riesa, Saxony, the first of its kind in Germany to operate with zero direct (Scope 1) emissions, marking a significant milestone in the European steel industry’s path toward decarbonization.
The new facility represents a major step forward for the Feralpi Group, which invested over €220 million - its largest single investment in Germany - to build the state-of-the-art production plant. The rolling mill is designed to produce eight-ton steel coils, each equivalent to approximately 25 km of continuous 8 mm wire, through a fully electric process with no direct carbon emissions.
At the core of the innovation is a 300-meter-long rolling line heated by induction furnaces, directly connected to the existing continuous casting plant. This integrated hot charging process eliminates the use of fossil fuels and, consequently, direct emissions typically associated with traditional rolling operations.
“The inauguration of this new plant in Riesa,” commented Giuseppe Pasini, chairman of Feralpi Group, “reflects our long-term vision and unwavering commitment to investing in advanced technologies that enhance our competitiveness on the global stage while moving toward increasingly sustainable production. We strongly believe in Germany’s growth potential and are determined to help drive its economic revival.”
Beyond the technological advancement, the new rolling mill has had a strong social impact, creating 100 new jobs and bringing the Riesa facility’s workforce to around 950 employees. The plant now boasts an annual production capacity of approximately 1.3 million mt of steel, reaffirming Feralpi Stahl’s position among Europe’s leading steelmakers.
This investment is part of a broader industrial upgrade plan that includes enhanced scrap processing infrastructure, a new electrical substation, and a revamped internal logistics system, all aimed at improving recycling efficiency and increasing integration of renewable energy sources.