Closed in 2009, this Blast Furnace was one of the many elements of the former Cockerill Industrial empire that twisted its way through the Meuse valley from France to Charleroi, Namur, Liege and Seraing joining the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt Delta in Holland.

 

The Cockerill family were instrumental in the Belgian Industrial revolution from 1805 onwards with their factories producing spinning engines and steel, steam engines (including air-blowers, traction engines, and engines for ships) and in 1835 Belgium's first steam locomotive. John Cockerill also had interests in collierys and mines such as those at Ougree, across the Meuse River from HF6.

 

The Cockerill group, following many different iterations of Cockerill Ougree, Cockerill Sambre, Usinor and Arcelor had their facilities absorbed into the mega Indian/Luxembourg conglomerate Steel giant, ArcelorMittal in 2008.

 

Mittal then helpfully closed this Blast Furnace in 2009 and added further woe to Eastern Belgium’s already struggling economy leaving Liege’s GDP per capita hovering at some 20k Euros lower than the rest of Belgium’s average.