At a lecture with Ladislav Horváth on energy intensity in the steel industry
No wonder that energy costs rank among the most important areas of interest for steel producers all over the world. They represent after all twenty and even more per cent of the total costs of their business. Many programs thus focus on searching for the most effective cost-saving solutions, especially cost reductions in energy, which is the third most costly input in the steelmaking industry. Ladislav Horváth, Director Innovation and Energy Strategy, a member of the team of Vice President Energy, Environment and Technical Inspection, knows a lot about energy costs. He worked for more than two years some time ago in the World Steel Association, where he was responsible for the worldwide project aimed at increasing energy efficiency in metallurgical companies. On Thursday, February 23rd, he explained the points at issue regarding energy intensity in the steelmaking industry in a lecture on this topic prepared for interested persons at the Košice steelworks by the U. S. Steel Košice Women's Network.
To deal with issues of energy intensity reduction in the course of steel production is an absolute necessity for us and a challenge also from another viewpoint, as Vice President Energy, Environment and Technical Inspection Vladimír Jacko said in his introductory contribution. Under demanding market conditions in the open trade territory of the old continent, even more aggravated in recent times by imports of cheap Chinese steel, we must maintain our business and remain able to compete.
Energy issues at the Košice steelworks come under the competence of Vice President Energy, Environment and Technical Inspection section that deals with planning electrical power and natural gas purchasing for the factory, analysis of possibilities to decrease the energy intensity of steel production, which has already resulted in numerous short-term as well as long-term projects, thereafter with monthly energy consumption balances, as well as with analysis of possibilities of obtaining grants from European funds for energy and environmental projects in U. S. Steel Košice. The whole team is contributing to a program within the Carnegie Way transformation process with many significant energy projects. As Ladislav Horváth stressed, everybody can join the others and also address his/her ideas to energy@carnegie.sk. In his lecture he analyzed individual aspects of energy intensity in sinter, pig iron and steel production with particular examples, whereby the largest portion is created by the costs involved in pig iron production, and he compared them with reference data from the world's steel companies. He also mentioned inter alia the impact and timing of installation of energy saving technologies on the total energy intensity of steel production, and he made the structure of possible energy media saving clear. Energy dealing, issues connected with the purchase and sale of energy media, provision of supporting services, as well as energy legislation implementation in U. S. Steel Košice was explained by Andrea Ábelová from the unit of Director Energy Efficiency Supervision.
Energy topics got an animated discussion under way. There was also talk about new upcoming developments in Slovakian legislation related to buildings' energy efficiency, thermal losses in houses, preparation of constructions that should be planned in detail, energy labels on appliances, but also for example about the issue of drinking water consumption, which is at a level of 311 thousand liters per hour in the factory. The stressing need to save water is really a priority. It will not be cheap for much longer, we must behave ecologically, drinking water stocks have diminished on our planet, and the price is going to increase, as the discussion participants agreed.
If you wish to learn interesting tips from Ladislav Horváth and possibilities of energy saving at home as well as in the company offices, please read the next issue of Oceľ východu.
