REGION
Our Products Contribute
to the Journey
Towards Carbon Neutrality
Ivo Chmelík
předseda představenstva GO Steel a.s.
CEO GO STEEL a.s.
The rolling mills in Frýdek-Místek have been an inseparable part of the town for more than
200 years and they are one of the biggest employers in the region of Frýdek-Místek. Let’s look
back at the history and present with Mr Ivo Chmelík, chairman of the board of directors of the
current operator, GO Steel a.s.
GO Steel plays a key role in the region of
Frýdek-Místek. Could you please describe
its history?
Our company was established in 1833 under
the name ‘Karlova huť’. In the beginning it
focused on refining the iron from the blast
furnaces in Baška and Ustroň in Poland
and produced various steel products for
agriculture and crafts in the region. Over the
course of 180 years, there were many periods
of changes, growth and even downfalls. Its
development was affected by the industrial
revolution, both world wars, the collapse of
the Austro-Hungarian Empire, nationalization
and privatization. From producing hot-rolled
steel plates and galvanized plates through
to the production of cold-rolled steel plates
through to the present day, we are one of
only eighteen manufacturers of transformer
steel in the world.
You mentioned the transformer steel,
which are your pivotal product. Could you
describe what it means?
The transformer steel is a strategic
product which is used for the production
of distribution and power transformers,
various regulatory components in power
engineering and for the production of
some generator types. Therefore you
cannot imagine the development of
electrification without this product. It is
a special silicon anisotropic steel, which
has the rolling direction identical with the
direction of easy magnetization. And this
property is used by the transformers to
achieve the lowest losses possible. More
than 3 million tons of transformer steel is
produced in the whole world, with more
than 60 % of that being produced in
China. China also has the largest excess
production capacity and they try to sell it
on export markets.
Who are your biggest competitors?
Transformer steel is a global product that
we supply around the world; this is why
all of the seventeen world producers are
our competitors. But the EU, including
Turkey, is the most important market
for us. Also, the EU market is protected
against unfair antidumping imports by
the European Commission regulations,
but this ends this year. We believe
that the EU will continue to protect its
market. Otherwise the manufacture
of transformer steel in the EU would
probably end, and our investments of
almost 2 billion CZK in technology and
ecology would be wasted. Not only
would thousands of jobs be in danger
but European producers would also
be dependent on imports from Asia or
America.
Where do you see the future of your
products?
Our goal is to contribute to carbon
neutrality via electrification, which
wouldn’t
be
possible
without
transformers. Charging stations, new
technology devices -- all of them need
to transform electric energy and our
transformer steel also fulfills the stricter
ecological standards.
Thank you very much for the interview,
Mr Chmelík.
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