ArcelorMittal Poland informs that after in-depth analyses of all options, the company has decided to adjust coke production levels to the difficult economic conditions. The company is going to hot idle the coke oven battery in Kraków. The decision results primarily from low demand but also the coking coal-coke price relation.
ArcelorMittal Poland’s management has decided to hot idle the coke oven battery in Kraków. This decision is due to two factors: firstly, the low demand for coke – Polish Steel Association estimates that the apparent coke consumption in Poland has decreased by 36% y/y, and secondly, from the trends resulting from the coking coal and coke prices.
- The current conditions on the coke market do not allow us to fully utilise our production capacity. The demand for coke has dropped significantly, but we are also dealing with a situation unprecedented in coke making – the price of coking coal is in the region of coke price, which makes production economically unviable - Wojciech Koszuta explains. – Until the end of the year all coke plant employees will remain in their workplaces so as to prepare the installation for safe stoppage. During this time, together with our social partners, we are going to develop the best possible solutions for the persons affected by these standstills - he adds.
