Over the two decades of its presence in Poland, the company has already invested almost PLN 2.5 billion in both rolling mills. The recently completed project to build hydrogen furnaces in the annealing plant of the Krakow branch of ArcelorMittal Poland consumed PLN 52 million. The sheets are now annealed without the use of ammonia, which will bring measurable environmental benefits in the long run – it has already reduced CO2 emissions from the process by 50 percent. The installation is currently in the start-up phase.

In Krakow, there is the most modern hot rolling mill in Europe, built in 2007 for PLN 1.2 billion, and a cold rolling mill with galvanizing and sheet metal painting lines.

"Sheet metal, which fits perfectly into the needs of customers from the household appliances or construction industry, is a specialty of Krakow. The assortment of this branch is valued not only in Poland, but also abroad, which is why since 2004, when ArcelorMittal took over the Krakow steelworks, we have been consistently expanding and modernizing our production lines, as well as investing in new products. The value of our investments in the processing part is already nearly PLN 2.5 billion" says Wojciech Koszuta, chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal Poland.

Hydrogen revolution at ArcelorMittal Poland's Kraków branch

Modernization of the production process is associated with technological changes that gradually reduce the environmental impact of plants. Only thanks to the recent, PLN 52 million hydrogen furnace project, the company eliminated ammonia from the annealing process and shortened the duration of the process itself, which translated into lower consumption of natural gas and electricity. This, in turn, reduced CO2 emissions during annealing by 50 percent.

"Replacing installations that have been operating until recently with new ones with a 100% hydrogen atmosphere is a technological leap. It is worth noting that these are the only hydrogen furnaces from overseas in Poland and the first in the ArcelorMittal Group in Europe" emphasizes Kamil Kaczmarek, maintenance manager at the cold rolling mill and technical leader of the project. “The installation elements were made in Poland, Austria and the USA (Ohio)” he adds.

"The project was complicated because it required the coordination of many areas. We first had to demolish the old dome furnaces to install 9 new furnace stations in their place. Some of the equipment needed for their construction came by ship from the USA to Antwerp, and then reached Krakow in large-size transports" says Piotr Kochański, project manager from the Investment Department at ArcelorMittal Poland.

"The construction of the new unit, in addition to environmental benefits, also brings with it the potential for development in the area of production quality. Thanks to new technical solutions, we can better control the technological process being carried out. For our customers, the cleanliness of the surface of the supplied assortment and stability in the area of mechanical properties is a key element. Why? Because the satisfaction of end customers, which is really the satisfaction of each of us, depends on it - products from the Krakow steelworks are used in the tin packaging industry, household appliances or in heating installations” emphasizes Krzysztof Masternak, Quality Support Manager at ArcelorMittal Poland.

The effects of the construction of hydrogen furnaces in Krakow will ultimately be appreciated by the customers themselves. Meanwhile, the project itself was recently awarded by the Ministry of Climate and Environment during the Conference of the Parties to the Sectoral Agreement for the Development of the Hydrogen Economy in Poland as an outstanding hydrogen initiative in the country. Let us remind you that this is not the only hydrogen project at the Krakow branch of ArcelorMittal Poland. Soon, Linde in cooperation with the Krakow unit of ArcelorMittal Poland will start the construction of a hydrogen production plant.