ArcelorMittal to invest $26 mln on Krakow CR mill upgrade

ArcelorMittal plans to ramp-up production at its cold-rolling steel mill in Krakow, Poland, until the end of this year, the company said this week.

The company announced an investment program worth 105 million zloty ($26.4 million) for its CR mill in Krakow, which has capacity for 1 million tonnes per year.

“As part of the program, the company will implement three projects: replacement of the rolling mill motors, modernization of the sheet etching line, and the purchase of a new grinding machine. Completion of the program is scheduled for the end of this year,” the company’s release read.

Modernization of the sheet etching line will start in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Krakow is ArcelorMittal’s last flat steel-making facility in Central and Eastern Europe, following the sale of its mills in the Czech Republic and Romania. These were divested in 2018 while it sought permission to acquire Italy’s Ilva steelworks.

In October 2020, the company permanently closed the hot zone at Krakow due to the dramatic effects of Covid-19 on the European steel market, but the coke plant and rolling mills have remained operational.

What to read next
Japan’s government has announced plans to make carbon trading, a system of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions quotas, mandatory for high-emission firms from the 2026 fiscal year, which could have far-reaching consequences for Asian steelmakers, sources told Fastmarkets in the week to Friday November 29.
More than 500 delegates turned out on Thursday December 5 to hear an update on the state of the US green steel industry during Fastmarkets’ inaugural 'going green' webinar.
Liberty Steel will idle operations at its Peoria, Illinois, facility starting Monday December 9 through "at least" February 3 "due to a shortage of wire rod and financial difficulties," an industry observer familiar with the company's operations said on Monday December 2.
With the race to decarbonize the steel sector gathering pace around the world, Fastmarkets reached out to subject experts in Europe, to discuss the major challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the new, green steel landscape.
Read more about the highlights from Fastmarkets’ annual Middle East Iron and Steel conference, which was held on 18-20 November in Dubai.
Steel market participants had varying reactions to US President-elect Donald Trump’s assertion on Monday September 25 that he will impose a 25% tariff of all products being imported from Canada and Mexico into the US, as well as levy a 10% additional tariff on all Chinese imports.