Ex Ilva, Genoa says yes to the electric oven. Urso: 'This is the right way'

"Genoa has said yes, in a united way, to the possibility of an electric furnace at the former Ilva steelworks in Cornigliano". This was said by Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, at the end of a series of meetings at the prefecture of Genoa with local authorities, trade unions, companies and citizens' committees (the latter, however, opposed to the infrastructure).

"There has been," the minister stressed, "a transparent confrontation with all the political forces, a responsible confrontation with the city, the region, union and industry representatives, and citizens' associations. We registered a broad consensus among all the institutional actors for a re-launch of the iron and steel industry in the Cornigliano plant, and in the related factories, through the use of electric furnaces and green technology'. A hypothesis that is always linked to a possible 'interest on the part of the industrial players, who are participating in the procedure for the assignment of the plants, to also build an electric furnace for the northern area in the city of Genoa'.

The plant, the minister added, represents 'an opportunity that can be given to investors, given the fact that, in Taranto, a maximum of three electric furnaces are planned for a total capacity that cannot exceed 6 million tonnes'. Expressions of interest, he concluded, 'must be expressed by 15 September. Then, I will ask the municipality of Taranto and the region to express their decisions in the next few days, as Genoa did today, which said in a complete, unified, responsible manner that, if there was an opportunity for the electric furnace, the city would welcome it; with the collateral plants, of course, also because this would considerably increase employment'.

Urso pointed out that 'these will be particularly challenging months, on everyone's part, but today I am comforted by the fact that I have found in the Region, in the Municipality of Genoa and, certainly, also in the trade unions and in the companies I have met, a full assumption of responsibility. This is the right path'.

The unions also lined up in favour of the development of the steel industry. 'The message that passes,' said Fiom CGIL Genoa secretary Stefano Bonazzi, 'is that the whole city - unions, institutions and social partners - is in favour of the electric furnace in Genoa. Antonio Apa, coordinator of Uilm Liguria, also confirmed the broad support, although, he added, 'in my opinion today's meeting has not resolved all the issues surrounding the steel industry affair; regardless of the electric furnace, on which we have given our support, there remain some decisive points that absolutely require answers'. In particular, 'we still do not see a point of equilibrium between the government and local institutions in Taranto'.