Industry

Sanac, the three companies interested in purchasing admitted to the tender procedure

These are Linco Baxo Industrie Refrattari and Selva, both based in Milan, and Erre Trading of Massa

by Davide Madeddu

31 January 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

The three companies
All sites are up and running
Unions

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

There is another step forward in the dispute over the sale of Sanac, the company that produces refractory material for steel mills. The three expressions of interest, submitted a few days ago, have been admitted to the next stage of the tender procedure. That is, the selection that will then mark the transfer of ownership of the assets and determine a new production course.

The three companies

"We have learnt that they are Linco Baxo Industrie Refrattari S.p.A. based in Milan, for the entire company branch," emphasises Marianna Formica, manager of the national Filctem with responsibility for the Sanac dispute, "Salva S.p.A. based in Milan, for the Vado Ligure plant, and Erre Trading S.p.A. based in Massa, for the Massa plant. Now the due diligence will start and will be concluded next April. At the end of the procedure, the companies will be able to submit purchase offers.

The four plants at the centre of the sale are located in Vado Ligure in Savona, Massa in Tuscany, Gattinara in Piedmont and Assemini in Sardinia.

All sites are operational

'Despite the difficulties in Taranto,' the trade unionist continues, 'all sites are operational and despite the state of extraordinary administration, Sanac continues to produce. The Sanac plants, which have a capacity of about 200,000 tonnes per year and a turnover of about 150 million euro, produce 35% of the refractory material on the domestic market. In addition, 30% of the production is destined for export.

The clearing with the 3 offers

The three proposals, as the workers also emphasise, represent a real breakthrough in the dispute that has been going on for some time and that 'aims to save a system that produces a wide range of refractory products necessary for the construction, maintenance and operation of plants belonging to different industrial sectors: steel, cast iron, non-ferrous metals, glass, cement, lime, ceramics, petrochemical and chemical, chimneys, boilers and incinerators'. In the evaluation of the bids, as also stated in the ministerial authorisation, 'the evaluation of bids for the overall acquisition was specified as preferential'.

Unions

"The next few months will be decisive, and as a trade union organisation we reiterate the need to valorise the entire compendium,'' the unionist continues, ''by handing over the plants to a single entity that has industrial solidity capable of guaranteeing a future for all the workers. Pierluigi Loi, secretary general of Uiltec Sardegna, is of the same opinion: 'There is a need for the four plants to be acquired all together,' he says, 'also because in this way a production of high value and professionalism is strengthened.