The former Cockerill-Sambre steelworks of Chertal, located on the industrial island of Herstal near Liège, was once a symbol of modern steel production in Wallonia. The island of Chertal was created in the 1930s, when the construction of the Albert Canal cut off a large piece of land between the Meuse River and the canal. Its unique position surrounded by waterways and close to the raw materials and workforce of the Liège industrial basin made it the perfect site for a fully integrated steel plant.

In 1963, Cockerill began building the vast complex, equipped with a blast furnace, steelworks, and hot rolling mill. Molten steel was brought in by torpedo wagons, cast, and then rolled into plates an impressive process that ran around the clock. The plant became the industrial heart of the region, employing thousands of workers from Herstal, Oupeye, and the surrounding towns.

During the 1980s, the company merged into Cockerill-Sambre, which was later absorbed by ArcelorMittal. However, growing global competition, ageing infrastructure, and industrial restructuring led to the decline of the site. In 2013, operations ceased for good the furnaces went out, the rolling mill fell silent, and the island of Chertal became still.