Protests in Bremen: Stop of green steel production outrages unions!

Protests in Bremen: Stop of green steel production outrages unions!

There's a lot going on in Bremen today: numerous demonstrators are gathering in front of the administration building of ArcelorMittal's steelworks in Bremen. The occasion? Protest against the company's decisions yesterday regarding the conversion to more environmentally friendly, "green" steel production. IG Metall and the works council have called for the rally, and Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD) is expected to be a guest speaker. After all, production is being shut down during the protest to make a statement.

ArcelorMittal's plans to convert the steelworks in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt to be environmentally friendly have stalled. Originally, production was supposed to be switched from coal to hydrogen from renewable energies. But the decision to discontinue these measures not only means the loss of state funding, but is also classified by IG Metall as “irresponsible” and “strategically short-sighted”. “This will not be without consequences for the future of the Bremen plant,” warns a union spokesman. According to ZDF, the situation is so serious that planned company meetings have been canceled and the rally is taking the place of intensive discussions.

Criticism of ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal has come under particularly heavy criticism because it does not want to pursue its decarbonization plans. The reasons for this are the difficult market situation and the lack of economic viability of CO2-reduced steel production. In 2024, the traffic light government offered generous funding worth billions to support the restructuring of the industry. 1.3 billion euros in funding were planned for the changeover in Bremen, while the overall project was designed for 2.5 billion euros. The Bremen Senate is disappointed by this development; after all, 250 million euros have already been made available for the renovation.

Left leader Ines Schwerdtner sees the decision as an “alarm signal for Germany as an industrial location” and calls for more public control in the steel sector. This discussion is not only reflected in Bremen. The topic of “green steel” is hotly debated throughout the industry, because the steel industry is one of the largest CO2 emitters in Germany.

Innovations in the steel sector

The protests in Bremen are not only a sign against ArcelorMittal's current decisions, but also a wake-up call for a promising industrial policy in Germany. Hopes for a green turning point that seemed lost at first glance could be supplemented by innovative approaches such as EASyMelt. We can only hope that all of these voices are heard.