Nearly 90 percent lower CO2 emissions during the transport of steel from ArcelorMittal Poland plants is the result of a test of trucks powered by biofuel (HVO100 - Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) that has been ongoing since May. Six vehicles provided by Tesko Steel Logistic runs several times a day on domestic and international routes (Czech Republic and Slovakia). So far, the trucks have traveled 31 500 km in seven weeks. ArcelorMittal Poland declares that it has not yet said the last word on the path to low-emission transport.
The electric truck test last September lasted 5 days and allowed for the reduction of CO2 emissions from the company's land transport by over 1.5 tons. Now the company has decided to test biofuel, but at different distances and over a much longer period of time. – The transformation of the steel industry is a challenge that we have to implement at every level. Delivery logistics is a very important element of the process, because road transport still constitutes a significant percentage of transport in our company. Our goal is to find a solution that will allow us to reduce the carbon footprint when transporting steel and will be feasible to implement in the short term - explains Grzegorz Kotarba, head of road transport purchasing for ArcelorMittal Poland, who is testing trucks powered by HVO100.
Six truck sets operated by Tesko Steel Logistic have been operating from ArcelorMittal Poland plants since May to various locations in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, transporting flat and long products. Within seven weeks, the vehicles covered a distance of 31 500 kilometers, transporting almost 2600 tons of steel, which resulted in a CO2 reduction of approx. 39 tons. The test aim was to verify the efficiency of this type of fuel and transport costs.
- The biggest challenge was to plan routes to take into account refueling vehicles with HVO100, because the latest generation fuel is not yet widely available in Poland. During our work in the Central European region, we used gas stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, due to the proximity to ArcelorMittal unites in southern Poland - says Marek Żołubowski, chairman of Tesko Steel Logistic Sp. z o. o. - We are proud that a well-known global steel manufacturer invited us to this cooperation, because the first test results already turn out to be promising. Before new models and technologies for ecological, emission-free transport of goods by trucks are created, the use of HVO100 fuel for trucks is a solution that already allows suppliers, including steel mills, to achieve a significant reduction in CO2 throughout the supply chain. I am glad that Tesko Steel Logistic, together with ArcelorMittal, is participating in this pioneering project - he sums up.
Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 is the main goal of the ArcelorMittal Group. However, the company tries to reduce CO2 emissions from its operations in current processes and activities. - I am glad that our Polish team is working so intensively on testing new alternative fuels that can significantly reduce our environmental impact in the area of transport - says Wojciech Koszuta, CEO of ArcelorMittal Poland. – The steel market is a global market, we cannot forget about it when pursuing our decarbonization goals. Ultimately, our steel will have a lower carbon footprint, but we still have to transport it - between branches, but also to customers in Europe and beyond. Every element of the supply chain must consistently reduce its CO2 emissions. We are not left behind. We take a closer look at every possibility and carefully check it, test it and weigh its pros and cons. Difficulties related to the availability of alternative fuels or solutions and the lack of appropriate infrastructure are not our allies in this process, but we believe that this will change soon - he emphasizes.
ArcelorMittal Poland will continue testing the testing low-emission fuels at least until the end of August.
