ESSEN (dpa-AFX) - The interest of several companies in a stake in the steel division of thyssenkrupp is apparently waning. For example, the state-owned Emirates Steel Arkan of Abu Dhabi has withdrawn, the Bloomberg news agency reported Thursday, citing informed persons. Reasons cited were concerns related to pension obligations and the complexity of the business. Interest from India's JSW Steel is also said to have waned, according to the information. JSW and Thyssenkrupp did not want to comment on this, Emirates Steel could not initially be reached for comment.

Former Group CEO Martina Merz had wanted to set up Thyssenkrupp as a group of largely independent companies and also favored making the volatile steel business independent. However, the manager met with resistance. Miguel Ángel López Borrego has now been at the helm since June 1. The EU Commission only recently approved demand funds of up to two billion euros for the steel business from the German government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for the establishment of production of climate-friendly, so-called "green" steel./nas/men/zb