- IN 2022, XEAL INVESTED €5M IN ITS 4 STRATEGIC AXES: HEALTH AND SAFETY, CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, LONG-TERM ASSET MAINTENANCE, AND IMPROVED EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY.
- 1M WAS SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED TO HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE TWO DIVISIONS: FERROALLOYS AND ENERGY.
- SINCE THE ENTRY OF THE NEW SHAREHOLDER, THE COMPANY HAS INVESTED MORE THAN €2.5M IN PROJECTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO HEALTH AND SAFETY.
CEE, APRIL 27, 2023 - Since it began its activity, XEAL has maintained a constant commitment to the health and safety of its workers and its environment. As a result of this commitment, in 2022, the company made investments in this area amounting to €1M in its two divisions: ferroalloys and energy.
Ferroalloys
Among the safety investments implemented in the Ferroalloys Division, the comprehensive reform of the casting process (necessary for the extraction of ferroalloy) of Furnace 12 at the Cee factory stands out. This is a modernization project in which most of the processes were automated and which has led to a very significant reduction in the risks associated with the daily work of the operators, such as those derived from the manual handling of loads, or the reduction of the levels of exposure to fumes.
Other advances in safety have to do with improvements in risk assessment, as well as a strategic plan to improve collective protection and accessibility conditions to facilities and work equipment.
In 2023, the company will execute the gas extraction and filtering project for furnaces 21 and 22 at the Dumbría factory, with a budget of €2.8 million, which will create a cleaner environment and improve the safety conditions of the facilities and people's health.
Energy
In the Energy Division, XEAL has continued with its investment plan, focused on an integral improvement of the assets.
One of the most important investments carried out during 2022 was the implementation of the Emergency Plans of the dams, which entails improvements to the auscultation and control systems, lighting and surveillance at the accesses and floodgate areas. All these actions result in increased safety for the company's workers and for the environment.
Safety actions have also been carried out in the area of canals, aqueducts, penstocks, loading chambers and buildings, as well as collective protection systems and improvements in accesses to work equipment.
Commitment to the United Nations SDGs and more highly skilled professionals.
Both safety and sustainability are fundamental pillars of XEAL's culture. That is why it is committed to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, establishing and incorporating these SDGs in its Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Policy. It is a responsible business conduct to the policies and management systems.
Investment plan
XEAL is continuing with its 28-million euro investment plan: 14 million euros in the ferroalloys division and 14 million euros in the energy division, focused on its four strategic axes: Maximum commitment to workers' health and safety; respect for the environment and compliance with environmental regulations; long-term care and maintenance of assets; and improvements to efficiency and productivity to be increasingly competitive, with the axis of safety as a fundamental pillar. During 2023, the company plans to invest €9M: €4.4M in the Ferroalloys Division and €4.7M in the Energy Division.
The company's objective is to have the most highly skilled professionals and to achieve a zero accident rate.
