The discussion on the future of the former Ilva steel plant in Taranto in Italy is becoming increasingly complex. The roundtable held at the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) to address the decarbonization plan for the former Ilva plant ended without agreement and has been postponed to July 31. A technical inter-institutional committee will join the next meeting, including Snam - the company managing Italy’s natural gas infrastructure - and the parties to the program agreement.
As previously reported by SteelOrbis, the Italian government has committed new financial resources to ensure operational continuity at the plant, but major issues remain on both the technical and negotiation fronts.
The new committee is expected to submit, by July 28, a proposal to ensure a sustainable gas supply for the site, and to assess the feasibility of constructing the four DRI (direct reduced iron) plants required to produce pre-reduced iron. One of the key points under discussion is the proposal from the Apulia Region to develop the DRI hub without the use of a regasification vessel.
The public tender for the sale of the Taranto plant, initially scheduled for August 1, will likely be postponed. According to Minister Adolfo Urso, this delay will allow additional investors to take part in the process, which is expected to conclude in early 2026.
Among the companies potentially involved in the transition is Danieli, the Italian group specializing in the supply of steelmaking equipment and one of the global leaders in electric arc furnace and DRI technologies. According to analysts at Equita SIM, a leading Italian financial advisory and brokerage firm, Danieli could play a role in the project, which is expected to involve investments exceeding €5 billion.
Banca Akros also notes that Danieli may have the opportunity to participate in future tenders. However, timelines are becoming increasingly uncertain, and there are currently no direct impacts on the group’s commercial pipeline.
The future of the Taranto steel plant remains uncertain, pending key technical and political decisions expected by the end of the month.