Luxembourg-based global steelmaker ArcelorMittal has announced that its steel plant in the Czech Republic is co-funding its environmental projects through European Union funds, for the first time in the company's history. ArcelorMittal Ostrava will use the funding to commission new, cleaner technologies worth CZK 2.6 billion (US$136.7 million) by 2016.
According to ArcelorMittal's statement, after approving the first two projects for environmental investments at Ostrava's sinter plant and blast furnaces, the European Commission has now approved the site's grant application for the biggest of the three environmental projects: the installation of fabric filters in Ostrava's sinter plant south. All three projects are eligible for EU funding as they are part of the company's drive to reduce emissions beyond the requirements of the new EU environmental legislation that will come into effect in 2016. The site aims to implement all three emissions reduction projects by 2016 at the latest.
Thanks to its own environmental investments and projects, ArcelorMittal Ostrava is already compliant with current and future EU limits and regulations. ArcelorMittal said that the new investment will help the company further reduce emissions of particulate matter from its furnaces, as well as emissions of nitrogen oxide from its power plant.