PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (AMKR) intends to achieve carbon neutrality – that is to comply with Green Deal standards, by 2050. This was stated by the company’s Chief Executive Officer Mauro Longobardo.
“Our goal is to fully comply with ArcelorMittal’s long-term environmental strategy. The key objective is to achieve zero emissions by the deadlines set in Europe,” he said in an interview with Metal-Courier magazine, the GMK-Center reports.
AMKR’s long-term strategy envisages that by 2050, the plant’s metallurgical facilities will be completely neutral in terms of carbon emissions.
Upon completion of the projects, AMKR will cut down its emissions by 46%, reaching the level currently required by the European Green Deal legislation. The company will need approximately 5 years to achieve this goal.
It is still difficult for Mr. Longobardo to plan significant investments in the introduction of hydrogen-based technologies at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih.
Maybe ArcelorMittal in Europe will start utilizing hydrogen technology in iron smelting in about two years. And we will be able to use their experience to optimize the best solutions at the facilities of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih.
Mauro Longobardo
AMKR shuts down the blast furnace
AMKR intends to shut down the blast furnace No. 7 from 2024. The company plans to abandon the oldest units, including the ones located at the sintering shop No. 1 and metal production facilities.
Earlier, the plant announced its intention to invest $ 250 million in the construction of a new pelletizing factory. The implementation of the project will allow the company to reduce total CO2 emissions by 800 thousand tons per year.
European Green Deal
It is worth reminding that in December 2019, the European Commission adopted the European Green Deal plan to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and zero environmental pollution in the European Union member-states by shifting from fossil to renewable energy sources and raw materials by 2050.
In the European Union, the investment plan for the “green transition” of industry amounts to 1 trillion euro during 2021-2030 in the form of concessional loans and subsidies. Moreover, the European Commission is going to allocate about 300 billion euros from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (the fund to combat the economic consequences of the impact of Coronavirus) specifically on the eco-modernization of industrial enterprises.
Under the European Green Deal, the European Commission intends to introduce a special “carbon” tax on importers that will not reduce CO2 emissions.