Many people work in our company in unique professions that you will not find anywhere else in Slovakia.

Desulphurization is a relatively new operation, it was created in 2010, it is very complex and only the best chemical employees can work here. It thus replaced the previous operation of the "ammonia plant" and was launched in order to achieve lower limits of sulphur content. The output is pure sulphur, which is loaded into tanks and sold for further use in the chemical industry in the Czech Republic. "Sulphur has specific properties, in the liquid state it is only in a certain temperature range from 120 to 140 degrees Celsius. At a lower temperature, it solidifies, and at a higher temperature it becomes gelatin. This process is already irreversible, sulfur cannot be returned to a liquid state. Another product we sell is benzoline," explains Juraj Kokoľus, the main desulphurization operator, who is in charge of desulphurization, cooling water circuit and benzene, adding: "At the same time, all the water used in the coking plant must be purified.  We discharge them into the biological treatment plant and then into the Sokolany WWTP."

In the Chemistry and Desulphurization of Coke Oven Gas of the Coke Oven Plant, coke oven gas is processed, which is generated during the production of coke in coke oven batteries. Coke oven gas contains up to 55% hydrogen and 7.5% nitrogen, but it is dangerous because it contains methane, carbon monoxide, ethylene (ethylene), hydrogen sulphide and ammonia. Unlike our other metallurgical gases, it has the highest hydrogen content, which is why it has the best calorific value of them. After treatment, we used it in our Power Plant, Sinter plant and for heating slabs in Pusher Furnaces in Hot Rolling Mill. "There are 59 people working in the operation, most in shifts and a few people only on morning shifts. It is not an easy job at all, it is done in a difficult working environment," Martin Kristiňák, its manager, briefly introduced "his" operation.

Operators manage the entire process from the control room. Eight computer screens arranged next to each other resemble air traffic control.  Each of them displays different parameters and different data.

It's like dominoes

Both he and the entire crew have been working here from the beginning.  We were interested in how he got into this job and whether he is a chemist. "No, I'm a metallurgist," he says, "I've been working in ironworks for 27 years. I came to desulphurization station before the start of operation. We had to learn a lot. We had extensive training. We received a large pile of papers with technological procedures and projects, then a three-week training in Poland. We had to learn the entire technological procedure, which can be affected by individual parameters and their changes. We monitor temperatures, flows, amount of water, pressure, lye, steam...  When even one parameter changes, it affects everything. It is enough for the temperature to rise and the pressure is already increasing... We need to know exactly how to proceed on other devices then. Everything is related to everything. It's like dominoes."

Almost everything has already happened

There must always be two people in the control room. One is constantly watching eight computer screens. Some deviations or malfunctions can be eliminated directly "via the computer". They have to go outside to others, to pumps or other equipment. 

In the photo, Ján Hostovčák, day foreman and Juraj Kokoľus.

"There are many combinations that can occur and each situation is exceptional. We, who have been here from the beginning, have the advantage that we are no longer surprised by almost anything, because almost everything has already happened and we know how to react.  New workers have to learn it "on the go", which is very difficult, it is a technologically very demanding operation. You need to know every workflow, a lot of chemistry, all the pipes, pumps...."

They have to experience it

In order for an employee to be able to work fully in this operation, he needs at least one year. Few people believe it. They also have new employees here, one since the summer of last year and he is far from being 100 percent trained. One learns best from specific situations and the new ones have to experience them themselves so that they are not surprised.

Juraj Kokoľus likes his job. "Some may say that we are just sitting in the control room, but this is not the case. We have to be 100 percent vigilant, because we never know what can happen. It's not a stereotypical job. You need to use reason, logic and have enough experience. When anything happens, the reaction must be very fast, there is no time to start looking for options after operation.  I like to go to work, we have a good team, we know each other well, several of us are friends in private. And it's an interesting job."

Ironmongery family

Isn't his family worried about working in a risky environment?

"Certainly some. Here, my mother-in-law worked on chemistry, my grandfather also worked in the coke plant and my father worked in the rolling mill. I have two sons, 13 and 18 years old. They do not plan to continue this tradition. They are interested in the world of computers and the IT field."

The best relaxation for him is daily two- or three-hour walks in the Slanské Hills with two black wolfdogs. In the summer, it is also a bicycle and in the winter, it is skates.

   

 "I am also a volunteer fireman. For about two years now. My cousin convinced me when I was finishing the house. We just had a background check on Sunday, fire extinguishing practice and sectional water administration. Six fire stations participated. It was an interesting 8 hours and we passed the test!"

Photo: František Gregor