From Populonia to Follonica and throughout the Val di Cornia, the mobilization of the mayors and the union has raised once again the problem of the survival of the Piombino steel industry, now limited to the cold working of the former Magona and the asphyxiated management of the steelworks for three years in the hands of Isach Rebrab's Cevital.
The Algerian entrepreneur certainly pays for the domestic political difficulties that see him in conflict with the local government but adds negatively to the delays accumulated with the plan for the reorganization and revitalization of the industrial site and its port; plan that had prompted the liquidation ordered by the Marzano Law to entrust him with the ownership and management of the large factory that belonged to the State, then to the Lucchini family and finally to the Russians of Severstal.
Cevital has only put the three rolling lines back into operation (wire rod, longs and rails) buying here and there the steel necessary to feed the plants: initially by sourcing from the Rivas, then occasionally from Brescia and, finally, on the international market of billets. The promised integral cycle blast furnace is in fact postponed indefinitely and the electric one, from complementary to alternative, has remained only on paper. All this has forced Piombino to work in fits and starts and to considerably reduce the order book for rails which could have been the strategic heart of the business since the Tuscan plant remains the only European producer with the Austrian Voest Alpine.
Little money, low liquidity, insufficient capital have forced Rebrab to be unable to honor the investment commitments undertaken and to have to look for other solutions such as the search for some partner or, at least, a billet supplier able to star "on believing" for many months. Hence his days in Brescia looking for partners or relying on the steel of Leali steel in Borgo Valsugana. It is true that his trusted law firm operates in the Lombard city, but it is equally true that nothing good has come of Brescia for Cevital's future in Piombino. On the contrary.
In recent days the Commissioner of the liquidation Piero Nardi has taken the field with a not very cryptic message. Despite having sold the assets of Caleotto di Lecco (Pasini-Gozzi) and Servola (Arvedi) as well as the drawing mills of Condove, he reminded the press that in his hands the shares of Acciaierie di Piombino are still firmly held for 27,7, XNUMX% of the capital plus a legally prosecutable action if Cevital is unable to honor all the commitments (none excluded) undertaken at the time.
Piero Nardi was one of the powerful state steel boyars. Protagonist of the sale of Ilva di Piombino to the Lucchinis; then manager and CEO of Lucchini for the entire twilight period of the Group until the arrival of Enrico Bondi who, having driven out all the executives, will in fact sell assets, power plants, factories and large warehouses, paving the way for the Russians of Severstal. Now Piero Nardi is the Commissioner of the liquidation and, it is said in Tuscany, able not to be satisfied with events but to build better ones as he pleases.
This is why the 27,7% hook was cast in the fishy waters of the Piombino horizon. In the first place because the rolling plants (long and wire rod) are highly productive and guarantee a very high quality product. Furthermore, that of the rails does not need further improvements by churning out rails of a length that is competitive worldwide. Finally, we no longer talk about the integral cycle blast furnace. The system, almost a prejudicial political identity, which the inhabitants of Piombino have always put before any other reason or expectation, has now been dropped in the face of a possible future electric oven. The environment would benefit from it without more coking plants, coal and emissions in support of a future of the immense territorial heritage that goes from the center of Piombino to the current Enel plant. Commenting on the public mobilization of recent days, an authoritative politician has repeatedly stressed that the future of the plant lies "in the use of current facilities".
Thus Piero Nardi has reopened the doors to old friends from Brescia who, having left behind the taboo of the integral cycle, could make the plant a coveted and ambitious morsel and supply the necessary steel with the unexploited production capacities installed in their plants. At the limit they could also govern together with Rebrab who still remains a big consumer of rebar in Algiers.
In Brescia, the names of the most solicited observers of the events in Piombino are already circulating: they are Antonio Gozzi, president of Federacciai and head of Duferco in alliance with Giuseppe Pasini of Feralpi. Other voices add that the wheels of Lovere dei Lucchini run on the rails. What is certain is that the scenario promises economic and entrepreneurial "pieces" of great interest. In fact, the giants of Alfa Acciai and the Banzatos, whose hearts are threatened by Piombino productions, will not be able to settle for paying the ticket and enjoying the show from the stalls.
