THE EXCESS HEAT FROM SIJ METAL RAVNE WILL FROM NOW ON HEAT THE COVERED OUTDOOR POOL IN RAVNE

Press release

Ravne na Koroškem, Tuesday, 23 October 2018 – Starting this season, the outdoor pool in Ravne na Koroškem will be connected to the district heating system that uses excess industrial thermal energy released during the cooling process of the electric arc furnace at the SIJ Metal Ravne steel plant. The company has presented the energy efficient heating system of the pool in Ravne as an example of good practice, together with the new 'balloon', which will cover the pool during the winter months.

SIJ Group utilizes the excess heat, released in the cooling process of the electric arc furnace, where the SIJ Metal Ravne steel plant melts steel at 1,600 degrees Celsius, to serve for the district heating of the Ravne na Koroškem municipality and it has been doing this since 2015 through its distributor Petrol. Last year, the emitted amount reached 6,649 megawatt hours, which represents a third of the necessary thermal energy for heating purposes. SIJ Group donated a part of that energy to heat the pools in the Sport Centre Ravne na Koroškem. Since 2016, the energy was initially used to heat the indoor pool. From this season it will be also used to heat the outdoor pool where the water and air are heated during the winter months inside the balloon cover.

“Here at SIJ Group, we are in all key points of our operation committed to sustainable production and consumption methods, as well as to the health and well-being of our people and the community in which we work and live,” said Andrej Gradišnik, Managing Director at SIJ Metal Ravne, at the event. In collaboration with ZKŠTM (Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth Activities Association), they in that manner provide free or significantly more affordable sporting and recreational activities in the Sport Centre Ravne to their co-workers at companies in Ravne. They have previously constructed a sports ground for outdoor exercise from their steel and this year they helped fix the children’s skiing range. “We are happy to see the outdoor pool is this year connected to the energy efficient and environmentally friendly district heating system.”

When it comes to the good practice of district heating in Slovenia, the town of Ravne na Koroškem is the first of its kind, receiving many public awards. “We have the potential to raise the 2017 thermal energy volumes from 6,649 megawatt hours to over 9,000 hours,” explained Samo Lečnik, Head of the Energy Department at SIJ Group, who estimates that the indoor pool will need a total of 1,649 megawatt hours per season; 504 megawatt hours for heating the air inside the balloon and 1,145 megawatt hours for heating the pool water, sanitary hot water, and indoor premises. Lečnik also stresses the importance of the project in terms of reducing their carbon footprint. “We will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 1,900 tonnes a year.”

By donating SIJ Metal Ravne’s thermal energy to heat the pool infrastructure and through the SIJ Ravne Systems’ sponsorship of the Swimming Club Fužinar, SIJ Group will continue to provide good conditions and promote the development of recreational as well as professional swimming in Ravne.


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The SIJ Group is the largest Slovenian vertically integrated metallurgical group, occupying the leading positions on European and global niche steel markets with their products. In addition to the Metallurgy Division (principal activity), SIJ Group also includes the Poultry Division (Perutnina Ptuj Group), together thus making the employment for almost 7,600 people in Slovenia and abroad.
According to non-audited business results, the Metallurgy and Poultry Divisions (Perutnina Ptuj Group) for the first half of 2018 have generated EUR 557.8 million revenues, resulting in 9-percent growth compared to the first half of 2017. In total, both divisions have preserved the profitability of operations since earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted EUR 57.4 million, remaining stable or at approximately the same level as in the first half of 2017. Total net profit in the first half of this year has reached EUR 13.6 million.


Additional information:
SIJ Group – Slovenian Steel Group
mag. Sara Wagner, Head of Corporate Communications
Phone: +386 1 242 98 27
Mobile phone: +386 41 313 532
E-mail: sara.wagner@sij.si