News Companies Czech Republic 806 26 June 2024
The share of the plant in domestic steel production in the Czech Republic for the year reached 71%
Czech steelmaker Třinecké železárny (TŽ) produced 2.41 million tons of steel in 2023. Production capacity utilization was 96%, and the company’s market share in the Czech Republic increased to 71%. This is stated in the company’s press release.
«2023 was not a good year for steelmakers. Global steel consumption fell for the fourth time in the last 5 years. In particular, the industry was significantly affected by the rapid rise in energy prices, which significantly affected competitiveness. We also faced a significant decline in steel demand during the year,» said Tomas Schrenk, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TŽ.
The main product shipped to customers in 2023 was wire rod – 937.5 thousand tons. Sales of long and structural shapes reached 487 thousand tons. In addition, 250 thousand tons of railway rails and related parts were supplied to foreign markets. Their share in the total volume of products sold abroad amounted to 89%.
The plant’s profit for the past year amounted to CZK 44 million, with sales revenue of CZK 49.69 billion (-13.7% y/y).
The volume of investments in production facilities is estimated at CZK 1.4 billion. The funds were invested in automation, energy saving, operational efficiency, and the implementation of a number of environmental projects. The largest of these included a dust removal system for the hoppers of both blast furnaces and the reconstruction of a bag filter at the sinter plant.
This year, Třinecké Železárny is completing an investment project for the heat treatment of rails. The company continues to implement green transformation projects that will lead to large-scale changes in the steel production process and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in accordance with EU legislation.
«Although the challenges of the green course are very challenging for our company, we are already working hard to decarbonize steel production. The key to successful decarbonization will be the availability of green energy at competitive prices, sufficient scrap on the European market and effective protective measures at the EU borders, and, last but not least, support from the state, as climate protection concerns everyone,» comments Jan Moder, First Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TŽ.
As GMK Center reported earlier, in 2024, Třinecké železárny plans to invest CZK 1.5 billion ($63.2 million) in decarbonization of its facilities. The investment will help to maximize process automation, reduce CO2 emissions, save energy and take the first concrete steps towards sustainable steel production.
Třinecké Železárny has an annual steel production capacity of 2.5 million tons. Its main products include wire rod, structural shapes and special sections, rails, seamless pipes and semi-finished products. Currently, the company employs about 7,000 people and, together with its subsidiaries and processing plants, up to 30,000 people.