This blast furnace, a landmark of the city of Charleroi, was founded in 1836 during the heyday of the European steel industry. Like all other steel companies in the region, it was also the subject of numerous acquisitions and mergers, primarily during the 1960s and 1970s. It remained a thriving enterprise, competitive on a global scale. However, its acquisition by the Duferco group in 2001 marked the beginning of the end…

From then on, the site was operated under the name Carsid. After a fire in 2007, the furnace was temporarily shut down to carry out necessary repairs. At the same time, capacity was increased, and several environmental investments were made. The plant was now scheduled to be operational for another ten years. Barely a year later, the blast furnace was shut down again due to "poor prospects." Due to the economic crisis and declining demand for steel, the blast furnace operation was no longer profitable.