The auxiliary plant of the former Nikšić Steel Plant, Stara krečana, was demolished exclusively according to the decision of the competent inspection and does not endanger steel production, the Electric Power Company (EPCG) announced.
EPCG said that, after taking over the assets of the former Steel Plant from the Turkish Toscelik, they have begun responsible asset management with the aim of valorizing them, respecting all legal regulations, including those related to occupational safety and health.
"From the period when the factory was managed by Tosčelik, several buildings and tanks remained in the factory compound on the site of the former technical gases center and the auxiliary facility of the Old Limestone Plant, which were assessed as high-risk facilities by internal services dealing with employee safety," the statement said regarding the demolition of the Old Limestone Plant within the EPCG Željezara Nikšić compound.
EPCG, as they said, as a responsible employer, taking into account the findings and opinion of the occupational safety service, requested the opinion of the competent inspection bodies. After receiving the opinion, the company acted in accordance with the findings of the competent inspections.
Accordingly, the demolition of the Stara Krečana auxiliary plant was initiated, acting exclusively in accordance with the decision of the competent inspection, with the aim of creating all conditions for the safe stay and work of employees within the factory premises.
"The position of the competent inspection fully corresponds to the opinion of the internal services for safety and protection at work of employees, the essence of which is that the condition of the aforementioned facilities, including the auxiliary plant Stara Krečana, is such that it poses a danger to the safety of employees who move and carry out work on the construction of solar power plants and on areas that are in the immediate vicinity of the aforementioned facility," EPCG said.
The company said that the statements in some media outlets that the Stara Krečana auxiliary plant is a symbol of production at the Ironworks are incorrect and tendentious.
"The demolished auxiliary plant of the Old Lime Plant was last used 17 years ago for the production of lime, which is used as an auxiliary material in the technological process of melting steel scrap and producing liquid steel in the electric arc furnace in Čeličana. Due to the poor condition of the Old Lime Plant, a new auxiliary plant, the New Lime Plant, was built about 20 years ago, which operated for a very short time," EPCG explained.
The company said that in the last 15 years, neither the Old Lime Plant nor the New Lime Plant have ever been used to produce lime for the needs of the Steel Plant, but rather, due to the unprofitability of the lime production process in the Steel Plant, it has been imported.
During the period when the steel mill was owned by Tosčelik, it was mainly imported from companies in Croatia.
"From the above data, it is clear that in the event of starting production at the Steel Mill, the lessee has the option to purchase lime from suppliers in the region, or to produce it at the Steel Mill at a facility that meets safety requirements and in a more advanced technological process, provided that it gains the opportunity to exploit stone in Montenegro," EPCG added.
Whether production at the Ironworks will be launched, as EPCG claims, depends solely on the lessee and investments in production facilities, and not at all on the Old Lime Plant, which was not used for eight years before Tosčelik's arrival and not once during the period when the Ironworks was managed by Tosčelik, both due to the age of the lime production technology and the poor condition of the auxiliary plant at the Old Lime Plant, and due to the unprofitability of obtaining lime in such a technological process.
"What is certain is that we will continue to work dedicatedly on the development of industrial capacities while respecting all regulations and standards," said EPCG representatives.
They reminded that in cooperation with the Municipality of Nikšić they are planning the implementation of the Sunny City project, which includes the construction of hundreds of apartments for employees of the EPCG group and the local government.
"In addition, the construction of Big Fashion, a new shopping center, should soon begin in that area. All of this indicates that, with everything we have been doing so far, we will use the Ironworks property in the best way possible and to the satisfaction of the entire community," concluded EPCG.
Bonus video:
