The coke plant of ArcelorMittal Poland is being modernized and now will also eliminate unpleasant odours. It will be possible thanks to air-tight sealing of industrial installations, which emit undesirable smells. The investment is expected to be completed in 2019 and the cost of the project amounts to PLN 2 m.
The Polish legal system does not establish any legal regulations regarding industrial odours and no relevant monitoring and measurements take place. Nevertheless, ArcelorMittal Poland in order to meet expectations of citizens, invests in installations to significantly eliminate troublesome odours, which are generated in the coke making processes and are spreading beyond the plant’s perimeter. The first phase of the project started in July 2017 and includes air-tight sealing of electrostatic precipitator water pump seals and gas pre-coolers. Vapours of unpleasant odours now get to the air through pipe outlets (so-called “venting holes”) going from storage tanks and gas dehydrators. Nineteen of these “venting holes” have been tightly isolated.
- We have replaced the outlets with dedicated steel pipeline network, through which vapours of unpleasant smelling substances are transported to the coke oven gas cleaning installation. This system prevents odours from escaping to the atmosphere – says Ryszard Opyrchał, coke plant director in ArcelorMittal Poland Unit in Krakow. Currently, the operational tests of the new installation are underway. The cost of the first phase of the project is PLN 500,000.
- Together with inspectors from the Regional Environmental Protection Inspectorate, during the comprehensive inspection, which took place in August and September, we discussed our initiatives, including the air-tight sealing one aimed at optimizing the industrial processes in the coke plant. The inspection took place last summer, as a result of complaints from residents from neighbouring housing estates in Nowa Huta, regarding industrial odours - says Jolanta Zawitkowska, environmental protection specialist and Green Officer at ArcelorMittal Poland Unit in Krakow. - The air-tight sealing of gas dehydrators and pre-cooling beds will eliminate another potential source of undesirable smells from the plant. However, it is worth mentioning that there are many other business entities operating in the Nowa Huta economic area. Also, we have to remember about the major on-going road works in the district, which means odours come from multiple sources – she comments.
The second phase of the project is expected to begin at the end of this year. The investment of air-tight sealing of tar loading unit will amount to PLN 300,000. The third phase worth PLN 1.5 m. , is scheduled for 2019, with the scope of air-tight sealing of the condensation tanks and condensation equipment.
The complete installation will be made out pipes of various diameters, with total length of 230 m – exactly the same as the length of base of the Pyramid of Cheops!
