Tata Steel has paid a record fine of €8.5 million for excessive emissions at a plant component. Further fines are looming, and the permit may be revoked.
At the end of December, Tata Steel was fined for excessive emissions of heavy metals, carcinogenic packaging materials, and benzene from one of its coke-gas plants. This was stated by the Provincial Executive of North Holland in response to questions from the Party for the Animals.
A year earlier, the North Sea Canal Area Environmental Agency (ODNZKG), which oversees Tata Steel, had imposed a penalty for excessive emissions from its two coke plants. This threatened fines of nearly €27 million if Tata Steel failed to reduce emissions.
The first half of the penalty has now been collected at coke-gas plant 1, a spokesperson for the ODNZKG confirmed. The fine is not yet final. Tata Steel was still allowed to submit a statement of objections, although the environmental agency does not expect this to lead to a withdrawal. "But in theory, there is a chance of that happening," the spokesperson said.
New measurements have already been taken at Tata Steel's coke-fired gas plant, and the final results are expected soon. Should emissions be found to be excessive again, the environmental agency can collect another installment of the fine. Once the company has paid the full fine, further steps may follow. The regulator has already explicitly threatened to revoke the permit.
Going to court
Tata Steel has gone to court to challenge the fines. The company previously expressed doubts about the accuracy of the measurements used by the environmental agency. According to the province of North Holland, the new multi-million fine is based on measurements taken by Tata Steel itself.
Tata Steel is working to make its steel production more sustainable, including significantly reducing CO2 emissions. For example, the old coke-fired gas plant 2 is scheduled to be replaced by a cleaner facility by 2030. The company is transitioning from coal to natural gas and later to CO2-free energy sources like green hydrogen and biogas.
The outgoing Schoof cabinet wants to release a one-time subsidy of up to €2 billion for the plans. Whether this state aid will actually go ahead will be announced later this year.
Tata Steel heeft een recordboete van 8,5 miljoen euro betaald vanwege de te hoge uitstoot bij een fabrieksonderdeel. Er dreigen nog meer boetes, waarna ook het intrekken van de vergunning een mogelijkheid is.
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