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generating units in use have a capacity of 200,000 kw. Until recently, units of this size were imported from the USSR; however, domestic industry now produces units of this size, and research has begun on the manufacture of 500,000-kw. units. The first 500,000-kw. unit is to be installed in 1975 or 1976 and will be imported from the USSR. Poland has recently announced plans to build its first nuclear powerplant. Scheduled to have a capacity of 444,000 kw., it is expected to be operational by 1982.
3. Metals and minerals (C)
a. Ferrous metallurgy
Poland has the largest iron and steel industry in the East European Communist area (excluding the USSR) and the tenth largest in the world, ranking slightly behind Belgium. In 1972, the industry produced about 7.5 million tons of pig iron, 13.5 million tons of crude steel, and 9.2 million tons of rolled products. With the exception of coking coal, the industry is dependent on imports for most of its raw materials. Although there are relatively large iron ore deposits, they are difficult to mine and have an average iron content of only 34%. From a peak level of about 3.0 million tons during 1966-68, domestic iron ore production decreased steadily to 1.8 million tons in 1972. In the latter year, imports of iron ore, about 85% of which came from the USSR, amounted to 12.5 million tons. Although the USSR will continue to be its principal supplier, Poland plans to increase imports of iron ore from other current suppliers, including Brazil, Sweden, and India, to help cover its growing needs. Poland depends on imports for all alloying metals and ores for the production of ferroalloys.
The Polish iron and steel industry is located mainly in the Katowice-Krakow area in the southern part of the country (Figure 13). The province of Katowice contains a cluster of about a dozen plants which, in 1971, employed 105,000 workers or 60% of the industry's labor force and accounted for 5.9 million tons of crude steel and 4.0 million tons of rolled products, each representing 46% of the industry's output. The largest single enterprise is the Lenin Metallurgical Plant, located at Nowa Huta, near Krakow. This integrated combine, which began production in 1955, had a labor force of 27,000 and an output of 5.3 million tons of crude steel and 3.4 million tons of rolled steel in 1971. Total Polish output of iron and steel, as well as other important metals and minerals, is shown in Figure 14.
The iron and steel industry enjoyed a high priority in the industrialization drive of the early 1950's,
FIGURE 13. Mining and industrial centers (U/OU) (picture)
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