Cooperation for cleaner air in Krakow - this is the main goal of the letter of intent, which was signed between ArcelorMittal Poland and the City of Krakow. In the first phase, the owner of the Krakow steel plant will pay a financial bonus to the first thousand residents of Krakow who, after January 1, 2018, will replace coal- or wood-fired stoves with a low-emission heating source. From the scrapped old stoves, after melting, bicycle racks will be produced, which will go to Krakow's schools or will appear on the streets of the city. Soon, the company will launch further activities, which it will plan based on the needs of Krakow’s residents expressed in the opinion poll conducted by the company at the end of last year.
According to the current so-called anti-smog resolution, residents of Krakow using heat sources fueled with coal or wood must replace all obsolete stoves by September 2019. ArcelorMittal Poland, wanting to increase the motivation of Krakow residents to replace old stoves and speed up this process, will fund bonus of PLN 150 in cash, for the first thousand people who, starting as of January 1, 2018 will take part in the municipal co-financing program and replace their stove.
- At ArcelorMittal Poland, we have been active in the field of environmental protection for a long time. Now we are getting involved in supporting old stoves replacement programme. Smog in Krakow is primarily the result of so-called low emissions, resulting from heating of flats and houses with low-quality fuels used in old stoves. We know the importance of ecological technologies for environment because we have been investing in reducing our environmental footprint for many years now. We have already invested over PLN 3 billion in the modernization of our Krakow plant. A significant part of these funds was spent on environmental protection investments, thanks to which we reduced our dust emissions by as much as 90%. We want to contribute even more to the improvement of air quality in Krakow, that is why we will work more closely with the city and its residents in this area - says Geert Verbeeck, CEO and deputy chairman of the board of ArcelorMittal Poland.
- Krakow authorities have been undertaking activities aimed at eliminating coal-fueled stoves for years now - reminds the mayor of Krakow, Jacek Majchrowski. – Each year there are fewer and fewer of them. In 2014, we had 24,000 stoves in Krakow. We estimate that now there are 8,000 remaining. The removal of each old stove until September 2019 is a great challenge for the city. Therefore, any support in this task is very valuable to us. Especially that the scrap from the re-melted stoves will contribute to the development of ecological transport, meaning using bicycles - adds the mayor of Krakow.
All old disassembled stoves will be collected by ArcelorMittal Poland in scrap yards and melted into bicycle racks. Their design will be selected by the residents of Krakow in an online plebiscite this spring. The racks will be assembled at selected schools in Krakow and other places where they will be needed.
- Steel can be recycled infinitely - explains Grzegorz Maracha, director of Blast Furnaces and Steel Making Plant in Krakow. - Therefore, steel scrap from dismantled stoves will be melted in our basic oxygen furnaces and used for the production of bicycle racks, with us covering all the costs of this undertaking - he adds.
The first one thousand people, who settle the subsidy received from the City of Krakow related to the stoves exchange, done after January 1, 2018, will be entitled to receive the bonus. After completing all formalities and obtaining an official certificate, they can come to a cashier’s office located at ArcelorMittal Poland’s Krakow Unit, at ul. Ujastek 1 and collect the bonus. Any information in this subject can also be obtained by calling the 800 889 878 hotline available during working days from 8.30am to 3.30pm.
