This Year, the Company Will Invest CZK 1.6 Billion

In 2021, Třinecké železárny faces the challenges associated with reducing its carbon footprint in the production of iron and steel. This will be reflected in the further development of the company and in investment plans. The Company plans to invest CZK 1.6 billion this year. In 2020, investments amounted to CZK 1.4 billion.

"We compiled the investment plan with regard to the current market situation, economic prospects, and we also took into account the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic," said Jan Czudek, CEO of Třinecké železárny (TŽ).

Major Overhaul of the Blast Furnace

In the second half of August, the most significant investment of this year, which will last 70 days, will begin the overhaul of one of the two blast furnaces in Třinec, blast furnace No. 6 in the total amount exceeding CZK 600 million. Its essence is the reconstruction of technological equipment, which has been in operation for 22 years in a rope and with regard to the technical condition of the equipment requires extensive renovation.

The furnace hearth will also be renovated and the modernization of the last of the three wind heaters will be completed, ensuring energy savings. "Reducing energy consumption will reduce CO2 emissions, which is one of the key goals of the reconstruction. The installation of a new device for preheating combustion gases and air will reduce the consumption of heating media and significant energy savings in the production of pig iron," explains Radek Olszar, the Investment Director.

Modernization of Steel Production

This year, Třinecké železárny will also modernize the equipment for continuous casting No. 1, where it will replace the original frames of the guide stands from 1989 and transform the casting strands into the possibility of casting a round bloom diameter of 600 mm. Two casting strands with this dimension have been operating in ironworks since 2018. The total cost will not exceed 300 million crowns.

"The diameter of 600 mm is mainly required by manufacturers of components for the energy industry, most often for wind turbines. Our strategy is to increase the share of products in ecological fields that contribute to reducing the carbon footprint. That is why we have decided to continue to expand the production capacity of higher diameter blooms," notes Jan Czudek.

Thanks to this investment, Třinecké železárny will be able to supply additional material for new wind power plants, which can save millions of tons of CO2 every year. "We supply steel for components to one plant in a volume of approximately 15 tons. These are leaf, azimuth and shaft bearings and friction clutches,” notes the CEO.

If a single modern 2MW wind farm produces around 4,000 MWh/year, this is a saving of around 4,000 tons of CO2 per year compared to a coal-fired power plant. Last year, approximately 50,000 tons of steel from the Třinec plant to wind energy, which is the amount needed for the production of 3,000 wind power plants. Thanks to their operation, there are annual savings of about 12 million tons of CO2.

Ecological Investments

In the summer, TŽ will launch a significant ecological investment in the processing of raw materials. It is a dedusting device for sampling and processing of the mixture for the production of blast furnace sinter. The new large machine is equipped with a dedusting system, thanks to which less dust escapes into the air during the processing of raw materials for the production of pig iron and steel. The smelter is financed both projects together with the funds of the Operational Program Environment.

The Future of Steelmaking and Its Transformation

"Steelmaking, like other energy-intensive industries, faces the challenges of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. We see global warming as a serious problem, but we must all be involved in solving it. For the production of steel in the traditional way, this means starting fundamental technological changes that will be historically ground-breaking," outlines Jan Czudek.

Companies in the Třinecké železárny – Moravia Steel Group will work intensively this year to update the steel production strategy with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions in the area of primary production and energy. "The transformation of our company will be very demanding, we will deal with it only as quickly as the grant support from the European Union will be effective and fast," the CEO concludes, adding that these are very costly projects.

 

Petra Macková Jurásková
Press Secretary of the Třinecké železárny - Moravia Steel Group
phone: +420 558 535 841
mobile: +420 602 265 738
e-mail: Petra.Mackova@trz.cz