Acciaierie d’Italia, a steel manufacturer in Italy, has reactivated blast furnace No. 2 at its Taranto facility after a two-year shutdown. This over EUR 997 million investment into maintenance and industrial upgrades, initiated in February 2024, enabled the recent restart.

Workers completed testing, reheating, and loading for the unit on February 11, aiming to maintain uninterrupted operations and protect local industrial resources.

Previously, only blast furnace No. 4 remained active at the site. This expansion provides a necessary production boost after authorities confiscated blast furnace No. 1 in May 2025 due to a fire. Under special administration, the company regards this operational return as a strategic move to preserve the plant's viability and workforce during its emergency restructuring phase.