{
  "id": 7966735,
  "title": "Industrie: Milliarden versinken im „schwarzen Loch“: Italiens größtes Stahlwerk muss Hochöfen schließen",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/industrie-milliarden-versinken-im-schwarzen-loch-italiens-gro-tes",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-17T06:32:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/industrie/industrie-italiens-groesstes-stahlwerk-muss-hochoefen-schliessen/100254365.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "The Italian steel giant Ex-Ilva, once the largest steelworks in Europe, is facing closure of its last blast furnace by October 28, putting over 2500 jobs at risk. This decision comes after a court ruling in July, confirming previous judgments of July this year, which ordered the shutdown of the last blast furnace. The plant, located in southern Italy's Taranto, has been plagued by environmental and management scandals for decades. The Italian government, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has invested billions in the plant and searched for a buyer, but has not succeeded. The court ruling was based on proven asbestos contamination and exceeding fine dust levels, which the judges believe could be the cause of increasing cancer rates in nearby towns. The union \"Parents of Taranto\" successfully campaigned for the closure of the blast furnace area, arguing that the entire world's steel is not worth one child's life. The judges ruled that production can only resume when all asbestos is removed from the facilities and fine dust emissions are reduced to safe levels. However, it is unlikely that this will happen. The five blast furnaces in use were built at different phases of the steelworks, established in 1964 and renovated multiple times between the 1970s and 1980s. The last blast furnace was only active for the most recent period. Bringing the blast furnaces to the required standard would require significant investment, estimated at four to five billion euros, which is unlikely to be justified. The introduction of new technology for steel production would also cost four or five billion euros. It seems unrealistic that the blast furnaces will be reopened in their current state, as they are considered outdated. With the blast furnaces deactivated, it is practically impossible for a private investor to invest the necessary sums to build a new steelworks, according to Carlo Mapelli from the University of Milan Polytechnic.",
  "summary": "Das einst größte Stahlwerk Europas muss nach einem Gerichtsurteil die Hochöfen schließen. Ein Konzept für die Zukunft fehlt – und Tausende Jobs sind in Süditalien bedroht.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "The court's ruling to shut down Ex-Ilva's last blast furnace likely seals the fate of Italy's largest steelworks, putting 2500 jobs at risk and rendering a costly upgrade to safe standards economically unviable.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}