Former Ilva: Negotiations continue, but the regasification plant is out of the deal.

The possibility of an agreement that doesn't go into detail about the regasification plant, but only about the quantity of gas needed to achieve production targets. This is the idea put forward by Puglia Governor Michele Emiliano at the end of today's meeting at the Ministry of Mimit with the unions, who are also pushing for a hub that includes the production of pre-reduced gas, or raw material.

Taranto Mayor Piero Bitetti is stalling; Minister Adolfo Urso hopes the night will bring resolution ahead of tomorrow's meeting with local authorities to reach an agreement. Eight million tons of green steel is the annual production target, six of which will be in Taranto. This is the government's goal set in the decarbonization plan presented to the unions at the meeting at the Ministry of Enterprise on the eve of the discussions with local authorities on the interinstitutional agreement required for the new integrated environmental and health authorization (AIA).

The plan calls for three electric furnaces at the Apulian steelworks and one in Genoa, plus four plants for producing the pre-reduced gas needed to power the new furnaces. These will be built in Taranto (if it agrees to host a regasification vessel) or in another area of Southern Italy, perhaps Gioia Tauro. A new tender will, however, be needed to find a buyer. The current tender, which has reached exclusive negotiations with the Azerbaijani company Baku Steel, will need to be updated to reflect the plan's new conditions, which require a faster decarbonization timeline, cut from twelve to seven or eight years.

It's "likely," according to the minister, that in light of the planned decarbonization, "further international partners will emerge." The unions, however, are demanding certainty. "I hope we can reach an agreement to move forward," said Uilm general secretary Rocco Palombella, leaving the ministry. "Without the pre-reduced capacity, the plant risks having no future," explained FIM CISL leader Ferdinando Uliano.

Meanwhile, the head of the Fiom-Cgil, Michele De Palma, has called for "public capital" to manage the transition to decarbonization with workers. Instead, "the draft plan lacks even a single figure, not even a single employment number," noted CGIL confederal secretary Pino Gesmundo. The minister wants to "decide immediately."

The focus is on an interinstitutional agreement with Taranto and the Puglia Region. A conference of services is scheduled for Thursday at the Ministry of the Environment to approve the new AIA, and the ruling from the Milan Court is expected shortly. Without this authorization, production activity could come to a halt.

Representatives of Giustizia per Taranto, Genitori tarantini, Peacelink, and the WWF are unreservedly opposed to the release of the AIA. According to Giuseppe Bortone, director of the Environment and Health department of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), who was interviewed by the Puglia Regional Council in the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) proposed by Acciaierie d'Italia, "aspects remain incomplete, with inconsistencies with the reference parameters dictated by both the ISS guidelines and the ruling of the European Court of Justice."