Madrid (EFE).- The public aid to the decarbonization of the production of ArcelorMittal in Asturias has started its last phase of notification by the European authorities, as announced this month by the president of the Principality, Adrián Barbón.
The Minister of Industry, Reyes Maroto, has informed Barbón that the European Commission has already informed the Government of Spain that “the pre-notification phase of the ArcelorMittal project has closed favorably”, as announced by the head of the Asturian Executive in an informative meeting in Madrid.
“So we are on the right track, it is excellent news” because “this is how the last notification phase begins,” Barbón celebrated, who thanked “the full Government” for its work so that ArcelorMittal’s decarbonization project goes ahead .
The General Directorate for Competition of the European Union notified the European Commission a few days ago of the conclusion of the analysis of the file on which the granting of public aid to the steel company ArcelorMittal for the decarbonization of its production in Asturias depends.
Two months for the definitive concession
From this moment on, the European Commission has a period of two months to resolve the final granting of the aid, which would amount to 450 million euros and which would be articulated through the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE). for decarbonization.
The plan presented by ArcelorMittal in July 2021 set a total investment of 1,000 million euros to halve emissions from its Gijón factory and another 50 million more at the Sestao steelworks, an initiative that involved the mobilization of some 500 million euros in public aid and subsidies for decarbonization.
In addition, the steel company is also studying the possibility of installing a new electric furnace in Avilés, as announced by the multinational months later.
Barbón also thanked the central government for “its will” in the PERTE to decarbonise the industry, “one of the most important measures for the industry of the future, and the appointment of an Asturian to coordinate it”, in reference to Luis Ángel Colunga. EFE
