The Polish industry ministry has formed a working group to formulate a national steel sector strategy, Kallanish notes.
The group will be headed by Polish industry minister Marzena Czarnecka and contain the ministry’s mining and metallurgy department director, Marto Jarno, as well as representatives from the Polish state assets ministry, climate and environment ministry, development and technology ministry, the Polish Transmission System Operator (PSE) and Polish steel association HIPH.
The group will be dissolved upon the presentation to the minister and his or her acceptance of the draft national strategy for the steel sector, a ministry notice reads. Meetings will take place either in person at the ministry building in Katowice or via video conference.
The group’s tasks will include providing support to the minister in activities related to the functioning of the national steel industry, and identifying the main challenges for the steel industry that require intervention at national and European level.
It will also develop proposals for actions and recommendations aimed at improving the functioning of the steel industry, and identify legal acts that will need to be amended in order to improve the functioning of the steel industry.
Polish crude steel output is estimated to have risen over 10% on-year in January-November 2024 to 6.58 million tonnes, according to worldsteel data. However, this is down from the 9-10mt annual production figures achieved prior to Covid.
Largest producer ArcelorMittal Poland shut its Krakow blast furnace in 2020, while Liberty Steel’s management of the Czestochowa plate steelworks brought production there to a standstill. It has just been revived by new lessee, state-owned Weglokoks. Celsa Huta Ostrowiec, meanwhile, a prized long steelworks, is up for sale due to financial problems at its parent company. CMC Poland and Cognor are in better financial shape.
ArcelorMittal Poland will need to soon decide whether to transform to EAF steelmaking or prolong BF-based production at its flagship Dabrowa Gornicza steelworks amid decarbonisation.
Adam Smith Poland
