Primary steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has, over the past ten years, invested more than R1.3-billion in environmental capital expenditure (capex) and maintenance projects to improve the company’s environmental footprint.

AMSA tells Engineering News Online that it continues to adapt its environmental strategy to ensure the company complies with relevant environmental legislative frameworks.

“AMSA considers environmental performance one of its most material issues, which has received significant leadership focus for some time,” the company notes.

In 2018, AMSA’s capex on environmental controls was R105-million, which was more than double the R41-million spent on mitigating its environmental impacts in 2017.

The company expects this allocation to continue increasing in the years to come, with significant investment to be made in new technology to reduce emission levels within the next two-and-a-half years.

AMSA points out that water management is one of its top three material environmental issues.

In 2018, ASMA abstracted 2.9 kℓ/t of liquid steel, an 8% year-on-year decrease on the 3.16 kℓ/t of liquid steel in 2017.

The 2018 figure was the lowest in the company’s history.

The efficient use of natural resources, energy and land is also among the top ten principles set out by the ArcelorMittal group in its environmental policy, which guides AMSA’s stewardship of the environment.

Additionally, AMSA last year made progress in its commitment to zero effluent discharge (ZED), with its Vanderbijlpark facility having achieved full ZED compliance in November and December 2018.

AMSA acknowledges that, despite having invested R340-million on a new coke gas-cleaning facility in 2010, the Vanderbijlpark facility continues to experience technical and operational challenges.

In May 2018, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a pre-compliance notice to the company relating to the Vanderbijlpark facility’s air emission licence and authorisation concerning the gas-cleaning plant.

Prior to receiving this notice, AMSA had begun working on plans to improve the performance of the plant.

Responding to the pre-compliance notice, AMSA explained to government the unforeseen difficulties experienced at the gas-cleaning facility and proposed improving and even rebuilding the facility.

AMSA continues to consider plans to invest in new technology that will reduce the plant’s emission levels within the next two-and-a-half years.