The electrical steel division of German industrial group Thyssenkrupp will completely shut down its plants in Gelsenkirchen and Isberg, France, from mid-December until the end of the year, it said in a press release.
In addition, the Isberg plant will operate at 50% of total capacity for at least four months starting in January. a large-scale increase in cheap imports, especially from Asia.
TKES is one of the two remaining producers in Europe of electrical anisotropic steel (EAS), which is used in the energy sector - in particular, in substation transformers and wind generators.
“Electroanisotropic steel is an indispensable element of European energy infrastructure and the energy transition,” said the head of the company, Marie Jaroni, as quoted in press release. “We are committed to maintaining production in Europe and are currently working to effectively protect the market. These efforts are critical to the existence of a fair, competitive environment for this strategically important product and to the protection of approximately 1,200 high-quality jobs at our sites in Gelsenkirchen and Isberg.” The EAC market is under serious pressure due to a sharp increase in import volumes at prices well below the EU average cost. Since 2022, its imports have tripled, and in 2025 they will increase another 1.5 times, the press release says. Global demand for such steel will also triple by 2050, according to market forecasts provided by TKES.
