An outsider would expect a huge amount of highly critical questions at a Tata Steel meeting about the company’s future. But just like last week with the explanation of the latter RIVM report was the atmosphere at that meeting in the Grote Kerk in Beverwijk mild or positive-critical. Only Peter Zonneveld of the Zeester foundation thinks that the chosen path is ‘considerable’. And: “Kooksfabriek 2 can close at least 2 years earlier than Tata Steel wants”, he argues.
Zonneveld is not just anyone: he has 43 years of experience in the steel industry and this plan for Groen Staal largely comes from his Zeester foundation. The foundation includes many former employees of the Hoogovens. He still sees the dangers of the chosen route: “Tata Steel is taking a risk with the new furnaces that are to replace the blast furnaces. If they don’t work, and in my opinion there is a chance, you have a problem.”
Tata Steel wants to take the first major greening step before 2030. The company wants to replace one of the two blast furnaces with three new electric furnaces with two iron reduction installations. They no longer run on coke made from coal, but first on gas, and hopefully in 2030 or 2031 already on hydrogen.
When those new ovens are in use, the much-discussed coke factory 2 can close. After that, the other blast furnace must also be replaced by similar installations and coking plant 1 can also be closed.
View the explainer about Tata Steel’s Green Steel plan here. Text continues below the video.
Tata wants to become more sustainable, but what is green steel? – NH News
In the Grote Kerk in Beverwijk tonight was the first of four so-called ‘participation meetings’. The question from Tata Steel and local residents is: what do you think should be included in the permits for the new, cleaner factories?
Before the presentation of this plan reached the third slide, the approximately 100-strong audience already asked: ‘why don’t you just close coke factory 2 now, as a token of goodwill?’ But the usual answer follows, this time from the director of the sustainable transition Jeroen Klumper: “Tata Steel also wants that factory to close, but that is not possible yet.”
Barely a few slides further, the next critical question arises: why a factory to make new steel, why not one to recycle old steel into new products? The answer: steel is actually too good, too little ‘old’ steel is returned to meet the demand for new steel.
Few critical questions
Many people who show their faces are related to Tata Steel in one way or another, and not just as residents. As a (former) employee, as a municipal councilor or as an employee of the province or its Environment Agency. Apart from the critical notes of well-known constructive critic Zonneveld of the Tata Steel well-liked Zeester foundation, the really critical questions are surprisingly absent.
Perhaps even to the dissatisfaction of one of the women who answered questions on behalf of Tata Steel at the ‘theme tables’ and tried to allay visitors’ concerns. “If they now say: ‘I think it is important that Tata Steel remains within all WHO standards with the new permit’, then we can do something with that. In fact, now is the chance.”
“It’s about the future of the company, where are the young people?”
René Hekkens, resident of Beverwijk and employee of Tata Steel, notices something else: “It’s about the future of the company, where are the young people?”, he wonders.
Although, one young man is very concerned about the story that the new ovens can run on hydrogen in 2030 or 2031. “Can you guarantee me that it will be done by then? I think that will cost billions. Who will pay for that? How feasible is that?”
“You have a point when you say: that hydrogen is not there today,” Klumper begins his somewhat cryptic answer. “But if it has to be done for the climate, and it has to be done for the climate, then it will work. Can I guarantee it? No.”
Unsafe
In a letter, environmental organizations did express strong criticism of Tata Steel’s plans on Monday. Part of the comments from Greenpeace, IJmondig, FrisseWind, Gezondheid op 1, Environmental platform IJmuiden Noord and the Wijk aan Zee village council is that people do not dare to go to the participation meetings due to recent reports.
They write: “Critical local residents feel unsafe to participate in a process led by Tata Steel. With Tata Steel as a point of contact, the basic condition for participation is therefore ignored: ensure a safe conversation environment. leaked threatening messages by Works Council members and employees reaffirm what the prevailing corporate culture at Tata Steel is and how concerned citizens are judged.”
More meetings
There are three other meetings later this week and next week: tomorrow in restaurant Bleij in Heemskerk, Thursday in café de Zon in Wijk aan Zee and April 17 in the Telstar Stadium in Velsen-Zuid. There will also be an online dialogue “In conversation with Tata Steel” on April 19.
In Wijk aan Zee, the discussion is perhaps a bit more focused: then Marjan Minnesma of Urgenda would also come.