Former Ilva, Urso’s braking on the sale after the seizure of South Tyrol: « The latest events do not encourage investors »
The Minister of Business and Made in Italy: « It is necessary to prevent international investors who had shown interest in acquiring the plants from being discouraged from doing so »
Minister Adolfo Urso called them « latest news ». But it is evident that the reference is to the evidentiary seizure, without the faculty of use, of the Also 1 of the former Ilva of Taranto, notified to the company by the prosecutor Francesco Ciardo after the fire of 6 May which generated a column of black smoke visible even at kilometers. « I’m afraid – underlined the Minister of Business and Made in Italy by answering a question, on the sidelines of an event at Mimit, on possible news on the sale of the steel group – that the latest news do not encourage new investors in what is a difficult path for everyone, in which I hope that the institutions participate in a proactive way, to prevent international investors who had shown interest in acquiring the plants can be discouraged by the plants. do it ». Among the latest news regarding the former Ilva, in reality, there is also the letter of formal form announced by the EU to Italy for industrial emissions in Taranto. Letter that, however, had immediately specified Mimit sources, concerns « previous facts ». So it is to be excluded that the minister referred to the letter, after diminished his scope and the effects.
The fears of Urso
Certainly, however, the minister does not diminish the risk that the sale of the former Ilva to the Azero Consortium led by Baku Steel Company and Azerbaijan Investment Company can undergo obstacles. And Urso makes him understand without many turns of words. «We hope that there are no external conditioning that can discourage investors and preclude the development of green technology in the largest Italian steel system. As everyone knows – added Urso in reference to the former Ilva – from the beginning we took this dossier in hand with the full desire to create a process of full decarbonisation of the Italian steel system. So it is in the programs that have been presented to the investors, that of making in the most appropriate possible time of the former Ilva of Taranto a model of Green steelurgery that can make this country proud and that can correspond to the expectations of citizens also with regard to the environment and health « .
The decree of evidentiary seizure
As mentioned, according to the decree of evidentiary seizure without faculty of use, signed by the prosecutor Francesco Ciardo, the althero 1 of the former Ilva of Taranto cannot be used. The prosecutor, as learned, disputes the crimes of
Aise -omission of caution in the workplace and dangerous jet of things. And according to trade union sources, the approximately 70 system workers have been temporarily relocated to training. The fire of 6 May, documented by videos that have become viral on social media, created apprehension between citizens and workers. There were no injuries and steelworks of Italy explained that « an unchanged emission occurred in the atmosphere, caused by a sudden anomaly to an element of the system cooling system », in particular the tube number 11.
The other kidnapping
To all this, however, it is added that in the entire hot area of the former Ilva (Cokeries, Altiforni, Setteramers etc.) already weighs a kidnapping – but with faculty of use – renewed by the investigating judge in the valley of the transfer of the « Educational environment » process, relating to the crime of environmental disaster contested to the old Riva management, by the Court of Assizes of Taranto to that of Potenza. How will the potential new buyers react in the face of this further seizure, given that now the only althern on march is the number 4? These, evidently, are the doubts of Minister Urso who only a few months ago, on October 15, 2024, participated in the ceremony for the restart of Alteroforno 1, stopped from August 2023 for maintenance (it had also been announced that the apo1 would stop again in 2025 for the remake of the crogiolo with the return in operation the Altophorno number 2).
The unions ask for an urgent meeting
And the doubts, of course, also have the unions. « In an atmosphere of distrust and uncertainty for the future of the former Ilva – they underline in a note Loris Scarpa, the national coordinator for the Fiom -Cgil and Francesco Brigati, secretary general Fiom -Cgil Taranto – it is necessary to open a permanent table at Palazzo Chigi to plan the environmental, employment and industrial future of the steel group ». «Yesterday’s accident in the ex Ilva plant in Taranto dramatically proposes the question of safety in the workplace. Only for a fortuitous case there were no workers involved, but the extent of the outbreak and fire could have very serious consequences « . It says it, regarding the South Tyrolean 1 that last night, precisely because of the fire, was meanwhile seized by the Prosecutor and Carabinieri of the Noe without the faculty of use for the company. « Waiting to know the results of the environmental reliefs promptly started by the competent bodies, I believe it is necessary that we avoid paying the consequences of the accident to the workers and the community », notes Palombella. « We expect – stressed Rocco Palombella, Uilm secretary general – the immediate action of the commissioners for the restoration of the plants and to guarantee total safety. In light of what has occurred, we ask for certain times and guarantees on the current sales process, which has lasted for several months now, and on the realization of the electric ovens for decarbonisation. Finally, we consider an urgent meeting fundamental with the Minister Urso and the Commissioners to immediately identify extraordinary measures to safeguard all the workers, the communities concerned, the environment and an economy destroyed over the years « .
