Russia: NLMK-Kaluga to decrease refractory usage

NLMK-Kaluga has put into operation a steel-casting ladle with a new wall lining, which decreases refractory materials usage by 25%. The ladle transports liquid steel from the furnace. Earlier NLMK-Kaluga ladles have been lined with refractory bricks. The new technique uses liquid refractory concrete. “We intend to save some 29.1 million rubles a year with…

Ukraine: HBI imports down in January-October 2017

In January-October Ukraine imported 2.167 thousand tons of hot-briquetted iron, down by 95.2% YoY. According to the State Fiscal Service, imports decreased in monetary terms by 92.5%, to $580 thousand. Ukraine does not export or re-export HBI. The largest manufacturer of HBI in the CIS countries is Lebedinsky GOK (Russia). In 2016 because of the…