Przemyslaw Sztuczkowski, CEO of the Polish steelmaker Cognor, pointed out that hydrogen technology is expensive and futuristic, while the EU's scrap surplus of 30 million tonnes is likely to turn into a deficit. Sztuczkowski emphasised that there will be an increase in demand for scrap in Europe and globally and that scrap should be added to the CRM list.
Ryszard Pawlik, parliamentary advisor to EU Member Jerzy Buzek, said that the EU had endeavoured to include scrap in the CRM list, but after consultations with EU Member States this item was removed. Buzek expressed hope that the list will be periodically reviewed.
Tomasz Slezak, CEO of Weglokoks, stated that coking coal will remain an EU CRM if steel remains a strategic material. Slezak said that it is not possible for Europe to move away from blast furnaces quickly and that decarbonisation of steel is complex.
Herbert Wirth from Wroclaw University of Science and Technology stated that there are significant amounts of CRMs such as cobalt and vanadium in copper waste in Poland, and expressed that they expect support from the state for the recovery of these valuable substances. Sodium is also abundant in Poland.
EU Member Jerzy Buzek emphasised that fair green transformation is key for a sustainable European economy and that measures such as domestic production and recycling should be taken alongside environmental measures. This is important for the EU to have a strong economy and be resilient to external threats.
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