Italy's environment minister Corrado Clini has unveiled a draft of the revision of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report originally handed to Taranto-based Italian steel producer Ilva on August 4 2011. The final document is expected to be given to Ilva by October 18.
The main changes are the withdrawal of the operating license for the blast furnace No. 3, the prescription of a maximum annual crude steel production of 8 million mt and the denial of the authorization to use petrochemical coke and coke oven tar in production processes.
With regard to the maximum output, Ilva may not submit an application for amendment of this limitation until the completion of the interventions included in the plan of adjustment and acertainment by the competent authority of the achievement of the expected environmental performance.
Although the upper limit for output is set at 8 million mt, the switch-off of blast furnace No. 5, on which the company is required to install a slag vapor condensation system and dedusting systems, must be carried out no later than July 1, 2014, one year earlier than foreseen by Ilva. Meanwhile, blast furnace No. 1 must be stopped immediately in order to install a slag vapor condensation system and stock-house dedusting equipment, while the company must immediately install a similar slag vapor condensation system on blast furnace No. 4 and stock-house dedusting system on blast furnace No. 2. For the last two projects, the EIA does not require any shutdown.