The ministers receive an assignment from the cabinet, the details of which are not shared for the sake of their negotiating position. The conversations will also take place in a private atmosphere.
Last year, the steel company made proposals that should lead to a healthier living environment and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Discussions will be conducted on that basis.
Hydrogen
According to Adriaansens, it has taken “all too long” so far and the need among local residents is very high. She says she now has confidence that she and Tata have the same ideas “of what we want to achieve, that we can get started now.” The minister hopes to soon have clarity about what needs to be done to ensure Tata produces cleaner and greener. There are already agreements that the company will emit significantly less CO2 by 2030, “but we are making these agreements because we want it faster.”
Tata plans, among other things, to close the Coating Gas Plant 2 by 2029 at the latest and to replace one of the blast furnaces. The steel company also wants to eventually switch to hydrogen, after a transition phase to natural gas. Canopies on scrap and raw material storage areas should also prevent substances from blowing away and limit noise pollution.
The government believes that some of these measures should be implemented as quickly as possible, such as the roofs and the closure of Cooking Gas Factory 2.
