The report by Wijers and Blom provides a solid foundation for further discussions
In October 2023, outgoing Dutch Minister Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate asked Hans Wijers and Frans Blom to provide independent advice on possible actions for the Dutch state with regard to various sustainability routes for Tata Steel Nederland. We had good and constructive discussions with Wijers and Blom and provided them with all the necessary input for the preparation of this report, which has now been published.
We appreciate the confirmation in the report that our Green Steel plan is well substantiated and has a high chance of success. In our plan we have placed great emphasis on further reducing emissions and nuisance for the local community. In addition, the plan contains key health measures, including further reducing particulate matter and nitrogen emissions. This was also one of the recommendations from the RIVM report.
We support Wijers and Blom’s position that it is particularly important to make rapid progress. That is why we and the government are working intensively together on the preparations for the permit process. The customised programme that we are discussing with the Dutch government is an important condition for the Green Steel plan. It is of great importance for the future of Tata Steel in the Netherlands and for the social and economic value we create. We are in continuous discussions about this with the local community and all other stakeholders.
To make our Green Steel plan a success, we need our own knowledge, commitment and resources, as well as the financial and policy support of the Dutch government. Within Europe, attention must be paid to the affordability of energy and network costs. We are concerned that these rising costs are currently only imposed in the Netherlands, causing Dutch industrial parties to incur higher costs every year that companies in other European countries do not have. A level playing field is essential for us to make the transition to Green Steel.
We look forward to continuing our discussions with the government and reaching further agreements and cannot wait to take the first concrete steps in building a clean, green and more circular steel factory.