Salzgitter has outlined conditional plans to maintain operations at the HKM steel plant in Duisburg, Germany, following partners thyssenkrupp & Vallourec's withdrawal intentions. The restructuring blueprint envisions capacity reduction from 4.2 million metric tons annually to 2-2.5 million metric tons, representing a 40-50% contraction. The plan includes replacing blast furnace production alongside electric arc furnace technology & reducing workforce from approximately 3,000 to nearly 1,000 employees. Salzgitter's commitment remains conditional upon cost-sharing by exiting partners for restructuring measures & layoffs, alongside firm steel procurement commitments from thyssenkrupp covering 2-3 years. Ongoing arbitration proceedings between Salzgitter & thyssenkrupp regarding financial responsibilities introduce substantial uncertainty about the facility's ultimate fate.