ArcelorMittal Ostrava Reducing Lime Dust Emissions By 100 Tons Per Year
02/12/2013 - ArcelorMittal Ostrava has invested in reducing dust emissions and the improvement of working conditions at its steel plant, completing the installation of equipment for the dedusting of lime routes.
ArcelorMittal Ostrava has invested in reducing dust emissions and the improvement of working conditions at its steel plant. It completed the installation of equipment for dedusting of lime routes. In accordance with European legislation, the company chose the best available technique for dedusting worth 10 million crowns. The new fabric filter traps dust generated from the handling of lime. Thanks to that, indirect (fugitive) dust emissions are reduced by an average of 100 tons per year.
"This environmental investment will have benefits for the environment and it will also be appreciated by our employees who work with lime in the steel plant. Dust emissions will be significantly reduced here, which will result in improvement of working conditions," said Ing. Petr Baranek, chief green officer of ArcelorMittal Ostrava.
Lime is used for steel processing in ladle furnaces at the steel plant. Dust is trapped at lime unloading site, which is subject to highest dust emissions during the transportation of lime from wagons to the underground bunkers. The trapped dust will be transported to the fabric filter, which captures 99 % of particles of all sizes.
"Thanks to the fabric filter we are able to reduce emissions well below the European Union limit, which ArcelorMittal Ostrava will meet three years ahead of time," added Petr Baranek. Dust concentrations behind the filter will be significantly below the limit given by the BAT (Best Available Technique: 10 mg/m3). The limit will become effective in the European Union in 2016.
Dedusting of lime routes will reduce emissions more than required by the European Union, and will have a positive effect on the environment. ArcelorMittal Ostrava had also met other conditions for applying for co-financing of this environmental project from the State Environmental Fund and applied for the European subsidy last year. For the first time ever it has the opportunity to obtain a grant for an environmental project, in this case up to 90% of the price. Subsidies are drawn solely from the funds that are intended to improve the environment in industrial regions.
From 2003 to 2012 ArcelorMittal invested 4 billion CZK from its own budget in the greening of its operations. It already complies with all applicable European legislation limits based on the best available techniques (BAT). In the production chain, the steel plant follows-up the production of the coking plant, the sinter plants and the blast furnaces.
ArcelorMittal Ostrava a.s. is the largest steelmaker in the Czech Republic and part of the world’s largest steel and mining group ArcelorMittal. It has production capacity of 3 million tonnes of steel annually; about 50% of the output is exported to more than 60 countries worldwide. ArcelorMittal Ostrava and its subsidiaries employ more than 7500 people. Average income of its employees amounted to 32,796 CZK in 2011. ArcelorMittal Ostrava produces iron and steel in compliance with all environmental legislation. It already conforms to the EU best available techniques (BAT) emission limits that are to be binding only from 2016 onwards. The sole shareholder is ArcelorMittal Holdings A.G.
