Saarstahl bid for the two French steel plants Liberty Ascoval (Saint-Saulve) and Liberty Rail Hayange (Hayange): A new industrial project for the future of the Nord and the Moselle

In the face of international competition in the steel market, Saarstahl is offering a permanent acquisition of the Ascoval and Hayange plants based on

• a strong geographical and industrial integration of Hayange and Ascoval into the production network of the current plants of the Group;
• the solid economic, social and technical fundamentals of Saarstahl and the SHS Group
• the coherence of this project with the mission of the Montan-Stiftung-Saar trust (the majority shareholder of SHS);
• the culture of social dialogue derived from the German model of co-management.

"Our project aims to integrate a new rail market into Saarstahl's commercial and industrial strategy, to diversify our portfolio (electric arc furnace blooms and rails) and to access a new production technology (electric arc furnace). This project is fully aligned with the strategy of our Saarland Group, both in terms of strengthening competitiveness and structural transformation," said Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler, Chairman of Saarstahl's Management Board.

At the end of the integration, Hayange would be a key asset for Saarstahl, contributing to the European strategy for the ecological transition of mobility. Saarstahl aims to produce high quality infrastructure materials, which are essential for the development of sustainable solutions.

Ascoval will be the pivotal point of Saarstahl's green steel production—thanks to the circular economy with steel produced from secondary raw materials (recycled steel) on the one hand, and the electric arc furnace technology on the other.