NLMK Lipetsk, NLMK Group’s flagship production site, has embarked upon a large-scale overhaul of its steelmaking capacities, namely BOFs and associated dedusting equipment in BOF Shop No. 2.
The overhaul will increase the shop’s productivity by 18% from 8.5 million tons to 10 million tons of steel per year and cut air emissions by 70%. Investment in the project will total 23 billion rubles.
The two-phase project will be completed in late 2020. NLMK Lipetsk has already started the first phase of the overhaul, which is expected to take around five months: the 300-ton BOF No. 2 will be replaced with a 330-ton one, off-gas ducts will be upgraded, and an efficient BOF gas capturing and purification system will be installed. The second phase, involving the replacement of BOF No. 3 with a more efficient one, will begin in 2020.
Konstantin Lagutin, NLMK Group Vice President, Investment Projects, said: “The BOF overhaul in BOF Shop No. 2 is one of the milestone projects of our new strategy. Together with other projects aimed at developing our blast furnace and steelmaking operations, it will enable a 1-million ton per year increase in NLMK Lipetsk’s steel output. At the same time, the use of advanced environmental and energy-saving solutions will reduce the company’s environmental footprint. For instance, the introduction of best available technologies (BAT) will result in a 2.5-fold increase in gas purification efficiency. Despite the growth of output, these operations will be practically emission-free.” (NLMK/Ukrainian metal)