We want to be CO2-neutral by 2045 and therefore intend to make steel in a totally different way. By stopping the use of coal and doing away with our blast furnaces and coking and gas plants, we are aiming for a future where green steel is made in a clean environment. This project, named Heracless-Groen Staal, is probably the biggest industrial transition in the Netherlands in the 21st century. A project that will improve the climate and contribute to a cleaner habitat. The project is the first part of a total transition towards green steel, where coal will be something of the past. In the first phase of the project we shall replace Blast Furnace 7 and Coke and Gas Plant 2 with new installations that operate on hydrogen, green energy, and natural gas.
In this overview you will find all questions, responses and answers to them from Tata Steel.
We have categorised the responses received by Tata Steel by theme. The questions you have submitted to us, which are intended for the Province of North Holland as competent authority, have also been included in this overview, along with the responses from the Province of North Holland.
The Province of North Holland itself has also published the questions and answers submitted to it.
Participation report
A detailed report of the participation phase between April and July 2023 is available. View the participation report here.
Next steps
Besides this answer to your questions, we will include the findings from this first participation phase in the next steps, such as the Notitie Reikwijdte en Detailniveau (NRD). This next phase will take more time than initially planned. However, it seems to us the right way to carefully follow up on the reactions from the participation phase. Our objective remains the same: to fulfil our Green Steel plan by 2030 at the latest, and at the same time shut down Blast Furnace 7 and Coke and Gas Plant 2.
Recently we have organised a number of meetings to involve local inhabitants and other stakeholders in our future green-steel production. These participation meetings are the first step in a participation project with the local area in order to make carefully prepared permit applications for Heracless-Groen Staal at the beginning of 2024.
300 questions and remarks
During the four participation meetings, we received some 300 interested parties. We talk with them about the production of green steel, how we want to do it, what impact it will have on the immediate surroundings, and in what ways stakeholders can react to these plans. The participation project drew many reactions, with more than 300 individual questions and remarks.
The province of North Holland and Omgevingsdienst NZKG (regional service of the North Sea Channel area) were also present as competent authority. Separate discussions also took place with committees and council members of IJmond municipality.
Three Topics
The topics of technology, health and participation played a major role in the responses. After deepening responses with a number of people in conversations, there were also three focus conversations in July 2023, one conversation per topic mentioned.
The aim of all conversations held was to deepen the dialogue with participants on the three topics and to meet the responses we received as best we could in our response.
The topics technology, health, and participation featured prominently in your reactions. For the sake of thoroughness and a good balance of interests we shall go into more depth on certain reactions with the stakeholders who submitted them. The first phase of this in-depth exercise took place in the past few weeks during individual discussions, where we spoke to the stakeholders in question about their written reactions. Possible solutions were explored. We discussed this with representatives of the Town Council of Wijk aan Zee, Frisse Wind, Gezondheid op 1, Urgenda, Zeester, and IJmond IJzersterk.
In July 2023 we also organized three discussions on the aforementioned topics – technology, health, and participation – with stakeholders, one for each topic.
Our aim is to go further into the theme of each topic and to accommodate the reactions we received to the best of our ability in our responses.
We are inviting 10 people maximum to each discussion. These include civil society organisations and local inhabitants. A combination of the following organisations and inhabitants will attend each focus discussion
- Wijkgroep WestBeverwijk
- IJmond Ijzersterk
- Dorpsraad Wijk aan Zee
- Natuur- en Milieufederatie Noord-Holland
- Stichting Maatschappij en Samenleving
- Betapartners.nl
- Zeester
The invited inhabitants are individuals who previously submitted a reaction; an attempt was made to invite as many as possible per residential area. In addition, a maximum of 5 employees from, or on behalf of, Tata Steel are present; we believe that this will allow a thorough, in-depth participation. We consider that a group of 15 people at most is the optimal size for an in-depth discussion. A few stakeholders have also come forward who were not included in our initial selection, but who would also like to take part. We are individually in contact with them and naturally aim to involve them as much as possible.
The conclusions drawn from these discussions will be used in the next steps, for example responding to reactions from the first participation phase, and the memorandum on scope and detailing (NRD). The next phase will take longer than was initially planned. It seems however to be the proper way for us to provide a thorough follow-up to the reactions from the participation process. Our objective remains the same: to fulfil our Green Steel plan by 2030 at the latest, and at the same time shut down Blast Furnace 7 and Coke and Gas Plant 2.
In this overview you will find all the questions and reactions that Tata Steel received, divided by themes. In addition, the Competent Authority: province of North Holland and Omgevingsdienst NZKG drew up an overview of reactions that they had received.
Next steps
These reactions demand a careful assessment and consideration of adjustments to the project, the NRD (memorandum on scope and detailing), and participation. These reactions are also being assessed by experts. The answers will be sent to those who submitted the questions and will be published on this page. We aim to do this before the end of the summer. We shall keep you updated on further developments.
The participation has, in consultation with the competent authority, been left to the initiator (Tata Steel), but under the supervision of the competent authority, namely the province of North Holland. If you have any questions regarding the current process or any other questions, please send them to Tata Steel at omgevingsnieuws@tatasteeleurope.com or the Province of North Holland at programma.tatasteel@noord-holland.nl.
Documents
Notitie Voornemen Heracless–Groen Staal: This memorandum describes what the exact intent of the Heracless-Groen Staal project is, why the project is important, and what the necessary procedures are.
Heracless Groen Staal participatieplan: The participation plan states how Tata Steel wants to involve the surrounding area and stakeholders in the Heracless-Groen Staal project.