Bremen steelworks in danger: ArcelorMittal's withdrawal shocks employees!

Bremen steelworks in danger: ArcelorMittal's withdrawal shocks employees!

On July 1, 2025, a topic will be discussed in Bremen that not only affects ArcelorMittal employees, but could also have far-reaching consequences for the entire region. The ver.di district board of Bremen-Northern Lower Saxony has supported the employees at the Bremen steelworks in their demand for a social-ecological restructuring of the industry. The meeting takes place in close cooperation with the works council and IG Metall in order to find joint solutions to the challenges of the industry.

But how did this situation come about? On June 19, 2025, ArcelorMittal rejected plans to modernize the Bremen steelworks, which led to disappointment and great uncertainty among employees. The steelworks is not only an economic engine in Bremen, it also secures many well-paid jobs and has a positive impact on industry-related services. Especially in times of climate change, the decarbonization of the steelworks is essential in order to achieve Bremen's climate goals. These goals are not lip service, but essential for life within planetary boundaries, as ver.di Bremen-Nordniedersachsen emphasizes.

Steel industry and climate goals

The steel industry is one of the largest CO2 emitters in Germany and plays a key role in achieving climate goals. Although ArcelorMittal Europe has backtracked on the transition to climate-neutral steel production in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt, the need for this transformation remains. According to ZDF today, economic conditions, in particular the prices and availability of green hydrogen, are major obstacles to the necessary transition. CEO Geert Van Poelvoorde highlighted the pressures on the European steel industry and questioned the economics of decarbonization.

A serious blow for Bremen as a business location is inevitable, as Federal Minister of Economics Monika Grütters regrets the decision. The city had already allocated 250 million euros for the conversion and sees its efforts to transform the industry at risk from this decision. Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD) described the company's withdrawal as a bitter setback for the employees and the entire site.

Innovations in steel production

While the change in Bremen is a challenge, there are international approaches that show that sustainable production is possible. In 2020, the European Investment Bank granted a loan of 75 million euros to ArcelorMittal in Belgium to develop new technologies for the production of “green” ethanol from exhaust gases. This innovative project aims to use up to 15 percent of exhaust gases to produce ethanol, which not only makes economic sense but also helps to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

The need for a rethink in the steel industry is becoming increasingly clear. Support from trade unions and politicians is crucial for a sustainable transformation that takes both ecological and social aspects into account. While the future of the Bremen steelworks currently hangs in the balance, the hope remains that through innovative approaches and collaboration a solution can be found that serves both the climate goals and jobs.