After several visits to abandoned ArcelorMittal sites, it was time to see a plant that was still working. During Open Bedrijvendag, the company open day, I visited the steelworks in Ghent. The same kind of industry, with one essential difference: here you did not have to wonder what all those installations had once been used for.
Ghent is an integrated steelworks. That means much of the production process takes place on one site, from bringing in raw materials to making and finishing sheet steel. Ships deliver iron ore and coal, among other materials. Through various stages, these eventually become the steel coils sent to customers.
From raw material to sheet steel
A blast furnace first produces molten pig iron. At the steelmaking stage, its composition and purity are adjusted further. The steel is then cast and rolled. Where an abandoned factory mainly offers impressive halls and pipework, a working plant gives you a better understanding of how those parts fit together.
Unfortunately, our tour did not include a visit to the blast furnace. Understandable, but a pity all the same. Perhaps that opportunity will come one day. The tour itself was well organised, with clear explanations and even a drink. For the photographs, I had to work with what could be seen along the permitted route.
At a working company, safety and production determine where you can stand. Wandering into another hall because the light looks better is obviously out of the question. That makes a report like this different from photographing an empty complex. The subject keeps moving and you follow the programme.
This series records that visit, rather than every installation in Ghent. If you want to visit yourself, check ArcelorMittal for current company tours or Open Bedrijvendag arrangements and registration. The programme of my visit does not guarantee what will be accessible next time.
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