Copper smelter workers recognised - KGHM is celebrating the Smelter Worker’s Day

With a loud welcome and a performance by the Głogów smelters' orchestra and a group of majorettes in front of the head office of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., the main celebrations on the occasion of Smelter Workers’ Holiday began. During the celebrations, there was no shortage of special recognitions for employees working at company's smelters.

After a welcome in front of KGHM’s head office in Lubin, the traditional Smelter Worker Ceremony was held in the afternoon at the Muza Cultural Centre, during which state awards and jubilee distinctions were presented to deserving employees. Awards, including the Gold and Silver Medals for Long Service and the “For Meritorious Service to KGHM” badges, were received by almost 80 people. The jubilarians - people who have worked the longest for the company - were also honoured.

A letter from the Speaker of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, was read out during the Smelter Worker Ceremony:

“The celebration of Smelter Worker’s Day is an opportunity for me to express my sincere best wishes to the multi-generational community of KGHM, along with words of thanks for their hard, responsible work and perseverance. Please accept our appreciation for your efforts, professionalism and dedication. I would like to extend special wishes to the employees of the Cedynia Copper Smelter and Refinery on the occasion of its 45th anniversary. This anniversary highlights the strong smelter worker community and, at the same time, the commitment to tradition passed down from generation to generation.”

“On this special day, I would like to emphasise the importance of working towards environmentally friendly production and recycling of copper. These efforts are of paramount importance for the protection of our environment and a transition towards climate neutrality. Your contribution to the development of technologies that allow for a more efficient and cleaner use of resources is invaluable,” Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister of Climate and Environment, expressed these words in a special letter to KGHM smelter workers.

In his letter, Robert Kropiwnicki, the Secretary of State at the Ministry of State Assets, emphasised the contribution of smelter workers to the development of the metallurgical industry, which has been the foundation of our economy and society for years:

“Your hard work, commitment and professionalism not only strengthen our country’s position on the international stage, but also lay a solid foundation for future generations. Its own metallurgical industry is a huge asset for any country and one of the guarantors of its security.”

Andrzej Szydło, the CEO of KGHM, said at the ceremony that the company was developing smelting using efficient processing based on the principles of the Circular Economy.

“KGHM’s smelters are modern and environmentally friendly, as confirmed by the Copper Mark certificate, among others. This is also confirmed by our pro-environmental activities: we have completed the Program for adapting the Company’s technological installations to the requirements of the BAT conclusions for the non-ferrous metals industry, along with a reduction of arsenic emissions at the Głogów and Legnica smelters.  The objectives of the program have been achieved: the latest technologies have been used and modern infrastructure has been built. I congratulate the smelter worker community and wish them all the best for the years to come,” said Andrzej Szydło.

“I want to thank you on behalf of the residents of Lower Silesia and the Government. We are proud of your achievements. This is an enterprise that really shows how much we can do as Poles, as Lower Silesians. You deserve thanks, you all deserve a sense of pride,” said the Dolnośląskie Province Governor Maciej Awiżeń at the KGHM Smelter Worker Ceremony.

An integral part of the Smelter Worker’s Day celebrations are the traditional feasts (comber) and inn dinners, which this year took place in Głogów.

The Smelter Workers’ Day is special this year for the Cedynia Copper Smelter and Refinery, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary. In its anniversary year, the smelter produced 8-million tonnes of Cu-ETP wire rod. This is one of KGHM’s main sales products. The division, located in Orsk, is developing its production and environmental projects - electromobility or energy from renewable sources.

Work is underway at the Legnica Copper Smelter and Refinery to implement the Hybrid Legnica Smelter program, the idea behind which is to exploit the potential found in copper scrap. Completion of the program will allow the smelter be dedicated to the processing of recycled materials, with the ability to melt its own concentrates or concentrates from external sources.

At the Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery, on the other hand, work has begun on the creation of computer models reflecting the operation of equipment that analyses and predicts technological parameters based on large sets of data, the so-called digital twins. Their task is to support operators in running complex metallurgical processes. The algorithm implemented to streamline the work of the slurry furnace controllers is just one element of the digital twin.