ArcelorMittal Poland is going to construct 9 hydrogen batch annealing furnaces at its cold rolling mill in Krakow. Thanks to the completion of this undertaking, the company will improve product quality, but the environmental aspect of this investment is equally important. Ammonia will no longer be used in the annealing process; the company will also significantly reduce energy consumption.
Batch annealing is the next stage of cold rolled strip processing. In this process optimised plastic properties are given to steel, which will allow customers – companies from i.a. automotive and white goods industries – to further develop them according to their needs.
Until recently, bell-type furnaces were in operation at the annealing plant of the cold rolling mill in Kraków. They will ultimately be replaced with hydrogen batch annealing furnaces. – This change will translate into higher cleanliness of the strip, so, consequently, also into higher quality of the product. But this project will also be beneficial for the natural environment – Wojciech Koszuta, COO Flat Products explains.
Firstly, ammonia will no longer be used in the annealing process. Previously, the process was carried out in a hydrogen-nitrogen atmosphere, for which hydrogen was obtained from ammonia cracking. Thanks to the hydrogen furnaces, transition will be possible to 100% hydrogen. Secondly, the annealing time will be reduced by half, which will translate into lower energy consumption.
- The application of clean hydrogen, as well as changes in the construction of the furnaces and auxiliary installations will guarantee lower energy consumption – both in terms of electricity and natural gas. This will allow us to limit our CO2 emissions - direct and indirect - by 50 per cent – Frederik Van De Velde, CEO of ArcelorMittal Poland explains. – We are planning to complete this undertaking in the first quarter of 2024 – he adds.
- We are continuing our investments at the Krakow unit. We are modernising our installations, whilst also taking care of improving our environmental footprint. The hydrogen furnaces will cost PLN 52 m and we are now finalising undertakings at the coke plant and the pickling line, whose cost exceeds PLN 135 m. Thus, the value of projects which we are currently running in Kraków amounts to almost PLN 200 m – Sanjay Samaddar, chairman of ArcelorMittal Poland sums up.
