The decision by the Public Prosecution Service (OM) to prosecute Tata Steel IJmuiden (TSIJ) for “allowing undercooked coke to occur” in the Coke and Gas Plants (KGF) 1 and 2 and for not reporting this in a timely manner deeply affects the company. 

TSIJ considers being a good neighbor to the local community of fundamental importance and is fully committed to minimizing its impact on the surrounding area wherever possible. The company takes concerns and criticism seriously and remains committed to implementing measures to drive continuous improvement. Tata Steel Nederland's CO₂ intensity is approximately 1.66 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of crude steel produced, placing the company among the more CO₂-efficient integrated steel producers globally.

TSIJ has for some time been engaged in discussions with the North Sea Canal Area Environmental Service (Omgevingsdienst Noordzeekanaalgebied), the relevant supervisory authority, regarding the occurrence of so‑called “undercooked coke.” Coke has a double function: to reduce the iron ores to iron and as a fuel used to reach high temperatures in blast furnaces, in order to melt iron ore for the production of liquid pig iron. TSIJ produces this coke in plants KGF 1 and 2, approximately 135,000 batches (pushes) per year.

Occasionally, a batch was not fully “cooked,” resulting in a short-term peak emission. TSIJ seeks to minimize such undercooked coke, but in an industrial production process of this scale it is technically unavoidable that, on occasion, a coke batch is not fully cooked. Therefore, an absolute guarantee to prevent undercooked coke can never be given.

TSIJ has been engaged in an in-depth technical discussion on this subject with the Environmental Service for a considerable period. Based on those discussions and the measures taken, TSIJ has implemented substantial and tangible improvements since 2020. As a result, the number of instances of “undercooked coke” has been reduced by 98%; in the period from January 2020 to May 2026, this averaged less than 0.011%. This is below the industry average. In recent years, only a few cases have occurred out of 135,000 pushes per year, with 1 instance in 2023, and zero in 2024 and 2025. For these reasons, TSIJ considers the allegations  fundamentally to be unjustified.

TSIJ also considers it unnecessary to initiate criminal proceedings regarding a limited number of KGF incidents from the past, which have in fact been the subject of technical improvements. In light of the fact that TSIJ has long been in dialogue with the Environmental Service on undercooked coke, TSIJ believes this case adds nothing. Moreover, KGF 1 and 2 will in any event be fully closed in the coming years as part of the Green Steel Project, through which TSIJ will transition to a more sustainable method of steel production.

The allegations are being further reviewed by TSIJ. A substantive defence will, of course, be presented during the court proceedings.