Modernization of the metallurgical plant in Nowa Huta at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries

Established in the 1950s, the metallurgical plant in Nowa Huta was the flagship symbol of implemented by the communist authorities. The factory was systematically expanded until the mid-1970s. The outdated technology and archaic equipment of the plant required quick modernization. However, this process was much longer, especially as there were some climate issues that had previously been completely ignored. In the conditions of the deepening crisis of the 1980s covering the entire country, the situation in the plant became more and more difficult. The factory was threatened with bankruptcy. The repair process of the Polish steel industry began in the early 1990s. Also in Nowa Huta, the technical and technological modernization of the plant began. An equally important task was the decentralization of the management of the smelter, restructuring and privatization. This process was completed only in 2004, after the plant was taken over by a concern later known as ArcelorMittal Poland SA. Further modernization activities were carried out in terms of plant equipment and the introduction of the latest technologies. As a result, the most environmentally damaging branches of the plant were closed, and in others the production volume was reduced.