Credit: ArcelorMittal
Luxembourg-headquartered steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal has confirmed its intention to invest €1.2 billion in its Dunkirk site in France to support decarbonisation efforts.
ArcelorMittal stated that it is working closely with the French government, whose leadership has been “key in the defence of the steel industry in France and Europe”.
The European steel industry is currently facing “its worst crisis since the financial crisis in 2009”, a situation that is now “well understood”, ArcelorMittal noted. As a result, ArcelorMittal has postponed its European decarbonisation projects. However, the European Commission’s Steel and Metals Action Plan, announced in March 2025, has raised hopes that effective trade defence instruments and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will be implemented in the near future.
The revised steel safeguard measures that entered into effect on Tuesday 1 April 2025 were described as a first step in the right direction. According to ArcelorMittal, the European steel industry now requires an effective limitation of imports to 15% of market demand, alongside the implementation of a robust CBAM that prevents so-called “resource shuffling”. Such measures, the company noted, would help restore a level playing field on the European steel market.
In this context, ArcelorMittal expressed confidence that all necessary conditions will be in place soon after the summer to allow the relaunch of its decarbonisation plan. The company has confirmed its intention to proceed with the planned investment in a first electric arc furnace (EAF) in Dunkirk, representing an estimated cost of approximately €1.2 billion.
Combined with recently announced investments (€254 million in Dunkirk and €53 million in Fos) and the electric steels production unit currently under construction in Mardyck, scheduled for completion by the end of 2025 and representing a €500 million investment, this brings ArcelorMittal’s total investment in France to around €2 billion. The company stated that this "demonstrates [its] intention to maintain a thriving and sustainable steel-making business in France."
