Business · Energy & Commodities · 7 hrs ago
High energy costs force Italian steelmakers to pause production
Italian steelmakers are suspending or cutting production because electricity and gas have become too costly.
Acciaierie Beltrame says it will schedule major stoppages on some days in November and December.
The company says energy prices are dictating when it can produce, rather than its own production plans.
Federacciai, which represents Italian steel producers, says several companies have already stopped or are gradually halting output, but has not named them or said how much production is affected.
Steelmaking uses large amounts of electricity, so high costs can make running plants uneconomic and weaken Italian producers against European competitors.
Beltrame says a plant stoppage affects the whole supply chain, and warns that prolonged pressure could reduce Italy’s industrial capacity.
The government has approved an energy-bills decree, while Federacciai plans to seek a meeting with metalworkers’ unions in the coming days.
Italian steelmakers have suspended or are stopping production as electricity and gas costs become unsustainable, Federacciai says.
Electricity prices in Italy reached €293.86 per megawatt-hour on November 10, about 27% above October’s average.
AFV Acciaierie Beltrame says it will make significant production stops on some days in November and December.
Federacciai says it will seek an urgent meeting with metalworkers’ unions to discuss the situation.
The Italian government has approved an energy-bills decree that includes an 18-month gas price cap for gas used to produce electricity.
- Who
- Italian steelmakers, including AFV Acciaierie Beltrame, are stopping or planning to stop production.
- What
- High energy costs have made steel production difficult to sustain.
- When
- The reports were published on November 10 and 11, 2026. Beltrame plans production stops in November and December.
- Where
- Italy.
- Why
- Electricity and gas costs have become unsustainable for steelmakers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Italy’s average wholesale electricity price was €230.82 per megawatt-hour.
Italy’s wholesale electricity price reached €293.86 per megawatt-hour.
The Italian government approved a new energy-bills decree.
Federacciai said major steel companies had suspended or were progressively stopping production.
AFV Acciaierie Beltrame plans significant production stops on some days.
- Italian wholesale electricity price, November 10
- €293.86 per megawatt-hour
- Northern Italy electricity price
- €310.16 per megawatt-hour
- European gas benchmark, TTF
- Around €82 per megawatt-hour
- Decree gas price cap
- €58.9 per megawatt-hour for 18 months
- Beltrame production stops
- Some days in November and December
4 sources
Afv Acciaierie Beltrame ferma produzione in alcune giornate a novembre e dicembre
Le acciaierie con forni elettrici iniziano a fermare la produzione: “Costo dell’energia insostenibile”
Caro energia, le acciaierie italiane fermano la produzione. Federacciai: «Costi insostenibili»
What people are saying
It is the price of energy that decides when and how much to produce, not the company.
The shutdown of a steelworks is never just the shutdown of a company: it is the shutdown of an entire supply chain.