ArcelorMittal responds to Instrat

Without steel, there will be no wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, or expansion of energy grids. Steel also means electric cars, high-speed rail, and sustainable construction.

The European steel sector is currently grappling with a number of challenges. Only European steel producers bear the costs of purchasing carbon dioxide emission allowances, and energy prices in Europe are several times higher than in other regions of the world. These conditions are driving the rapid growth of imports of cheap steel products into Europe. In the Old Continent, imports from outside the EU, where production costs are significantly lower, meet almost 30% of apparent steel consumption.

ArcelorMittal's goal is to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. At ArcelorMittal Poland, we have invested over PLN 11 billion since our inception in Poland in 2004. We have increased energy efficiency by over 40 percent.

In 2023, at a cost of PLN 750 million, we completed the largest blast furnace overhaul in the history of the Polish steel industry . The installation will be able to operate for the next dozen or so years, and blast furnace technology will also be able to find applications in modern steelmaking.

Regarding government support, we are not requesting support for the renovation of a second blast furnace, but for the construction of electric furnaces, which produce significantly lower emissions, as well as for the further development of this technology. Steel producers in many other European countries receive support for activities related to reducing their carbon footprint .

No steel producer in Europe can cope on its own with the high energy costs, the carbon dioxide emissions fees under the EU ETS and the costs of switching to low-emission production technologies.