How JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. is preparing one of Europe’s oldest rail mills for the next century
As Europe accelerates investment in sustainable mobility, freight corridors and resilient transport infrastructure, the role of premium rail manufacturers is evolving. Customers are demanding longer rails, enhanced metallurgical performance, greater reliability, lower lifecycle costs and secure supply chains. Against this backdrop, JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. is undertaking one of the most significant transformations in its history.
On the Tuscan coast, where the first metallurgical plant in Piombino – “Officine Perseveranza” – was built in 1865 with Italy’s first Bessemer converter, a new chapter is being written. By 1908, the site had become Italy’s first full-cycle steelmaking complex, and since 1909 its rails have been used by the Italian State Railway (FS) in building the entire national network. Today, JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. – acquired by JSW Group in 2018 – operates the Piombino steelworks as the group’s European hub for specialty long products, producing rails, wire rods and bars for rail infrastructure, automotive, energy and industrial applications, supported by advanced manufacturing know-how and semi-finished steel supplied from JSW Group companies.
In March 2024, JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), the Tuscany Region and the Municipality of Piombino to revitalise the historic steelworks. This was followed in April 2025 by a Development Contract under which JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.P.A. received a EUR 33 million grant from the Italian Government through INVITALIA, supporting an approximately EUR 148 million Rail Mill Modernisation Project. The project is designed to modernise the rail mill through improved energy efficiency, enhanced process control and product quality, while expanding its technological capabilities to produce rails up to 120 metres in length and value-added head-hardened rails for more demanding railway applications. Together, these improvements will create a more efficient, flexible and technologically advanced manufacturing platform, also enabling the mill to respond to higher market demand in the future.
At the heart of the transformation are three strategic upgrades: a new tandem mill to deliver higher efficiency and productivity, a head-hardening facility to produce technologically sophisticated Head Hardened (HH) rails for high-speed and heavy-haul networks, and enhanced quality and length capabilities to meet the most demanding European specifications. These improvements are designed to position Piombino among Europe’s most advanced rail mills, providing best-in-class efficiency, cost-effectiveness and product quality while strengthening Europe’s capability to source premium finished rails from a European manufacturing base.
The modernisation also aligns with broader sustainability ambitions. JSW Steel has committed to a 42% reduction in CO₂ emissions from steelmaking operations by 2030 and carbon neutrality for directly controlled operations by 2050. At Piombino, the Rail Mill Modernisation will contribute through improved process efficiency, energy efficiency and more efficient use of resources. As a specialised rail rolling facility, Piombino receives semi-finished steel from JSW Group companies, where the Group is investing significantly in decarbonisation and cleaner steelmaking technologies. In parallel, the wider Piombino industrial area is the subject of ongoing discussions and initiatives relating to industrial regeneration and decarbonisation.
Beyond technology and capacity, the transformation of Piombino rests on a foundation of people and partnerships. JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. has reaffirmed its commitment to the local workforce, with the modernisation programme designed to safeguard and enhance employment at the site.
The investment strengthens collaboration with regional authorities, educational institutions and industry partners to develop skills, support local suppliers and contribute to the economic regeneration of the Piombino area. This approach reflects JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A.’s broader philosophy that sustainable growth is achieved not only through advanced manufacturing, but through long-term relationships with employees, communities and stakeholders who share a common vision for the future of European rail infrastructure.
In this context, Railway PRO spoke with Vinay Tiwari, CEO of JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. , about preserving a century-old legacy while preparing the mill for the next generation of railway infrastructure in Europe and beyond – balancing heritage, technology, competitiveness and sustainability in a rapidly changing market.
Railway PRO: Piombino has been synonymous with European rail manufacturing for more than a century. As CEO, how do you see the future of a brand with this legacy?
Piombino’s story is built on more than a century of rail-making excellence.
The legacy created under the Lucchini name has earned the confidence of railway operators across Europe and many international markets. Our responsibility is not to replace that identity, but to strengthen it. Heritage is meaningful only when it continues to create value. JSW Group brings long-term commitment, industrial expertise and investment capability, while Piombino contributes craftsmanship, engineering know-how and customer trust.
Together they provide the foundation for the next century.
Railway PRO: JSW Group has extensive experience operating large-scale steel facilities across India and other markets. What specific expertise or best practices from the wider JSW Group are being applied at Piombino?
The wider JSW Group brings deep experience in operating and modernising large steel facilities, and we are drawing on that expertise selectively where it creates the most value for Piombino. This includes operational excellence, safety systems, maintenance practices, project execution, process control, procurement and the disciplined use of performance data. Equally important is the Group’s experience in managing large capital projects, which is highly relevant as we modernise a rail mill with more than a century of history while continuing to serve our customers. We are not trying to simply replicate an Indian operating model in Italy. Piombino has its own strong technical heritage and experienced workforce. Our approach is to combine that local knowledge with JSW’s global industrial capabilities, investment strength and continuous-improvement culture.
Railway PRO: JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. is investing significantly to modernise the rail mill. What is the priority behind this programme, and what will it change for the plant?
Our immediate priority is the modernisation of the rail mill, located in Piombino, in the Province of Livorno, Tuscany, Italy. Before discussing advanced digital technologies, we must first create a world-class manufacturing platform. The investment programme will significantly improve quality, productivity, operational efficiency, flexibility and reliability. It will also introduce capabilities that customers increasingly require, including 120-metre rails and head-hardened rails. Digitalisation, automation and Industry 4.0 will support this transformation, but they are enablers rather than the objective.
Railway PRO: The Piombino site includes a captive industrial port. How does this logistics asset strengthen your competitive position in serving European and international customers?
Piombino’s captive industrial port is a strategic advantage, particularly for a rail business serving both European and international markets. It gives us direct access to maritime logistics for incoming semi-finished steel as well as outbound finished rails, reducing intermediate handling and giving us greater flexibility in planning shipments. This becomes especially important as we expand our presence beyond Europe, particularly in North and West Africa and other markets that are efficiently served by sea. For long products such as rails, where dimensions, handling and shipment size can make logistics complex, having the port integrated with the industrial site supports both cost competitiveness and delivery reliability. Combined with our European location and international market reach, it is an important element of Piombino’s competitive position.
Railway PRO: Longer rails and head-hardened steel are central to this upgrade. Why do these technologies matter so much to today’s railway networks?
Railway infrastructure owners increasingly evaluate assets on lifecycle performance rather than purchase price alone. Longer rails reduce welds, improve ride quality and lower maintenance. Head-hardened rails extend service life in demanding applications such as heavy haul, metros and high-speed lines. These technologies allow us to deliver greater value to customers while supporting safer and more efficient railway networks.
Railway PRO: Quality and traceability are increasingly important for railway infrastructure projects. How does Piombino ensure product integrity and consistency throughout the manufacturing process?
For railway applications, quality is fundamental because the product is expected to perform safely and reliably for decades. At Piombino, quality control starts with the incoming semi-finished material and continues through reheating, rolling, straightening, finishing, inspection and final release. Material identity and production records provide traceability through the manufacturing route, while dimensional, surface, mechanical and metallurgical controls are performed in accordance with the applicable customer specifications and railway standards. Our established certification and quality-management processes provide the framework, but consistency ultimately depends on disciplined process control at every stage. The modernisation programme will strengthen this further through improved equipment, process stability and enhanced quality-control capability, allowing us to meet increasingly demanding European and international specifications with greater consistency and reliability.
Railway PRO: Sustainability is a growing priority across the rail supply chain. How does being part of the JSW Group shape JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. approach?
JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. is a specialised rail rolling facility that benefits from the integrated capabilities of the JSW Group. Semi-finished products supplied by our Group companies allow us to focus on premium rail manufacturing, while the Group continues investing heavily in decarbonisation, cleaner steelmaking and responsible production. This strengthens the sustainability of our value chain and supports Europe’s transition towards lower-carbon infrastructure.
Railway PRO: Your customer base already spans Europe, the “Middle East” region and parts of Africa. How central is Europe to your strategy, and where do you see growth beyond it?
Europe will always remain our home market and our first priority. At the same time, no modern rail producer can depend on a single geography. Infrastructure investment naturally follows different cycles around the world. Expanding our presence in North Africa, West Africa and other selected international markets creates resilience, balances capacity utilisation and supports sustainable long-term growth. Piombino’s port location, European certifications and the backing of JSW position us well to serve both established and emerging markets.
Railway PRO: With the mill’s capabilities expanding significantly, how do you plan to compete – on volume, or on something else?
Our ambition is not simply to produce more steel; it is to create greater value. Customers increasingly expect dependable supply, consistent quality, technical support and products that reduce lifecycle costs. The modernised Piombino rail mill will be better positioned to meet those expectations through superior manufacturing capability and closer customer partnerships.
Railway PRO: Railway infrastructure projects often involve complex technical requirements and long delivery timelines. How does JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. work with customers to support their specific needs from specification through to delivery?
Rail supply is rarely a simple commodity transaction. Every infrastructure programme has its own technical specifications, approval requirements, delivery sequence and logistics constraints, often extending over several years. We therefore work with customers from the early stages – understanding the required rail profile, steel grade, certification and technical conditions – and then align production planning, quality, commercial and logistics teams around those requirements. During execution, close coordination becomes particularly important because project schedules can change and deliveries must often be synchronised with track-laying programmes, ports, rail wagons or other site constraints. Our objective is to be more than a manufacturer supplying against a purchase order. We want to be a dependable long-term partner that combines technical capability, manufacturing flexibility and logistics coordination to support the customer from specification through to final delivery.
Railway PRO: Looking further ahead, what is your vision for JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. by 2035?
Our ambition is clear: to establish JSW Steel Italy Piombino S.p.A. as one of Europe’s most advanced, reliable and customer-focused rail manufacturers. We will continue investing in people, technology, product development and sustainability while preserving the trust built over more than a century. Europe will remain central to our strategy, supported by a growing international presence.
Success will not be measured simply by tonnes produced, but by the confidence customers place in our products and our ability to contribute to the future of railway infrastructure.
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