ArcelorMittal Poland launches new hydrogen furnaces in Krakow

ArcelorMittal Poland has officially commissioned hydrogen furnaces in the cold rolling annealing shop at its plant in Krakow. The event was attended by representatives of local and regional authorities, including the Vice-Marshal of the Malopolska Province and the Vice-President of the city, according to a press release from the company.

The PLN 52 million investment is part of a large-scale PLN 100 million modernization package, which also includes the introduction of a new galvanizing method that will reduce zinc consumption and increase the corrosion resistance of products.

«Thanks to hydrogen furnaces, we obtain cleaner metal and significantly reduce our environmental impact. By completely eliminating ammonia from the process, we have halved annealing time, reduced energy consumption, and cut CO2 emissions on the line by 50%. This is an important step towards sustainable production in one of our key divisions,» explained Wojciech Kosuta, CEO of ArcelorMittal Poland.

The launch of hydrogen furnaces is not the company’s last step in this direction. Construction of a hydrogen production plant has already begun in Krakow, which is being implemented in cooperation with Linde Gaz Polska. In 2025, this hydrogen will be used as fuel for two hot-dip galvanizing lines. The cost of the project is another PLN 100 million.

“This is a project that combines innovation, sustainable development, and modern environmental requirements. We are showing that industry can be ‘green’ and that cooperation between business, government, and science is the key to success,” commented Łukasz Smółka, Marshal of the Małopolska Province.

Since 2004, ArcelorMittal has invested over PLN 2.7 billion in the Krakow plant, creating one of the most modern metallurgical complexes in Europe.

ArcelorMittal Poland may receive up to PLN 1 billion in state support for the modernization of production in Dąbrowa Górnicza. The country’s authorities are considering the possibility of modernizing one of the blast furnaces in order to maintain steel production at the plant. Negotiations with the Ministry are currently underway.