Aperam’s Steel Shipments Rise, But Challenges Loom in 2025
Aperam, the Luxembourg-based stainless steel producer, witnessed a commendable 4.9% year-on-year increase in its stainless and electrical steel shipments in 2024, reaching a total of 1.626 million tonnes. This uptick, however, was largely driven by a low base in 2023, when distributors were actively offloading inventory, which contributed to the sharp growth. The company’s performance for 2024 indicates a partial recovery from previous years, but the outlook for 2025 appears to be fraught with challenges.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, Aperam recorded a 2.6% quarter-on-quarter increase in shipments, amounting to 401 thousand tonnes. Despite this, shipments fell slightly by 1.5% when compared to the same period in 2023. Regionally, demand dynamics remained varied: Europe experienced a slight uptick in consumption, while demand in Brazil outpaced expectations, suggesting regional disparities in market recovery. Aperam’s Services and Solutions segment saw the most notable improvement, with a 9% year-on-year rise in shipments, reaching 169 thousand tonnes. In contrast, the alloys and specialty products segment remained stable at 10 thousand tonnes, with no significant growth or decline.
In terms of recycling and renewable resources, Aperam’s ELG and Aperam BioEnergia units experienced a mixed performance. While the company saw a decline of 7.4% in scrap shipments during Q4 2024, the overall annual shipments for the segment grew by 6.6% to 1.464 million tonnes, highlighting the sustained demand for recyclable materials. On the financial front, Aperam’s Q4 2024 adjusted EBITDA surged, more than doubling to €116 million, driven by strong results in the Alloys segment and robust performance in Recycling & Renewables. However, the company has already flagged concerns for the first quarter of 2025, forecasting a decrease in EBITDA and a substantial rise in net financial debt, primarily due to the consolidation of Universal Stainless & Alloy Products.
Globally, stainless steel production saw an overall increase of 5.4% from January to September 2024, reaching 46.09 million tonnes. In Europe, including Ukraine, production rose by 4.9%, totalling 4.69 million tonnes, while the United States registered a 9.1% increase in production, reaching 1.51 million tonnes. This global growth reflects the continued expansion of the stainless steel market, although challenges remain for Aperam in the coming months.
