Bosnia and Herzegovina-based ArcelorMittal Zenica, a subsidiary of Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal, has announced that it plans to close its coke battery as a result of rising costs and reduced demand. A series of substantial maintenance efforts have not been enough to extend its lifespan and ArcelorMittal Zenica has concluded that further upgrading is not feasible, would not satisfy environmental standards and will create a safety risk for coke plant employees.
The company will continue to produce steel via the blast furnace route, purchasing coke from external sources. “ArcelorMittal Zenica will make every effort to ensure that the closing of the coke battery has a limited impact on the local economy. There will be challenges, but we will make every effort to preserve the maximum number of jobs. The plan is to try to relocate many of the employees from the coke battery to other departments in Zenica,” Nikhil Mehta, CEO of the company, said.