Bekaert says it has no choice but to intervene at its Bekintex site because green hydrogen is taking hold less quickly than expected. The company sees “low market demand in the short term and a recovery expected later than previously anticipated.”
In concrete terms, Bekaert is now completely suspending the production of electrolyser components. As a result, 24 jobs are threatened. Management says it wants to limit the impact on staff and is investigating the possibilities of offering affected employees a job in one of Bekaert’s other Belgian branches.
She also starts negotiations on a social plan with the unions. “Green hydrogen remains part of Bekaert’s growth strategy,” the company emphasizes. The production line in Wetteren will therefore be retained. “That allows us to scale up production again as soon as the market picks up,” it said.