Extraordinary shifts, reorganization of orders and logistics – all this is now being experienced by VÍTKOVICE STEEL in order to deliver hundreds of sheet piles as quickly as possible for the construction of a steel barrier in Hustopeče nad Bečvou. The first part of the steel wall in the vicinity of the benzene tanker accident has been completed, and the specialist company is now installing more sheet piling in the ground, which together are to encircle the most affected area for a length of nearly 700 metres.

„We are taking this as a priority and doing literally everything we can to help prevent more environmental damage after the accident. We are the only manufacturer of sheet piles in the Czech Republic, so even our employees understand that we have to help the emergency services and it’s all about time ,“ said Radek Strouhal, CEO of VÍTKOVICE STEEL

The steel sheet piles have special locks on the sides that allow to create an impermeable wall that can easily hold a mass of dirt or water for several years. They also serve as flood protection. The sheet piles can be reused and are almost 100% recyclable.

The planned longer version of the wall will require more than 1,000 pieces of sheet piles 8 metres long. „The first batch of sheet piles, about 400 pieces, is already in the ground, we delivered 2 more trucks of sheet piles on Monday and now we are producing hundreds more. Currently, we have agreed to deliver 700 more pieces of sheet piles to the accident site,“ added Radim Pachlopník, the company’s Chief Operating Officer. The company had to adjust production and shipping accordingly. One 8-metre long sheet pile weighs half a tonne.

The production of sheet piles has a long tradition in Ostrava, sheet piles have been produced on a heavy profile line for 100 years. The quality of this product range is known in many European countries and is guaranteed by a number of certificates. In the Czech Republic, the sheet piles produced in Vítkovice were used, for example, in the repair of the Charles Bridge in Prague, in the construction of the elephant pavilion at the Lešná Zoo or currently in the repair of the Bata Canal.

The Ministry of the Environment has described the derailment of a tanker train in Hustopeče n. B. as the largest accident of its kind in the world. The release of chemicals threatens the health of the population, the environment, the ecosystem and water resources. The work on the site is being carried out by specialised companies in cooperation with the Integrated Rescue System and the Czech Environmental Inspectorate.

VÍTKOVICE STEEL, a. s. is a traditional European producer of rolled steel products, the largest producer of steel plates in the Czech Republic and the only producer of sheet piles in the Czech Republic. The company employs almost 900 people. Most of the products of the Ostrava company are used in the construction and engineering industries. 70 % of the products sold go abroad.