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Metinvest to Double BOF Durability at Yenakiieve Steel Works
03/30/2011 - Metinvest is preparing to overhaul its 160-tonne BOF vessel at Yenakiieve Iron and Steel Works. According to the company, the upgrade will effectively double the durability of the vessel.
Metinvest is preparing to overhaul its 160-tonne BOF vessel at Yenakiieve Iron and Steel Works. As part of the upgrade, the company will replace the vessel’s shell and modernize the gas exhaust duct, effectively doubling the durability of the vessel. The Project investments will amount to about UAH 100 million.
Metinvest is currently assembling large-size units of the new BOF vessel shell. Seven units weighing a total of more than 400 tonnes were manufactured at OJSC Azovmash (Mariupol) according to the company’s proprietary technology. Replacement of steelmaking equipment’s casing will reduce operational costs by at least 50% in terms of energy and water consumption alone.
For modernization of the gas exhaust duct, the old heat-recovery boiler will be replaced with a brand new gas-tight water-heating gas cooler. The new cooler will be equipped with automated control as well as an alert and locking system designed to almost double (to up to 30 thousand heats) the fault tolerance of ecological equipment and to ensure the operation’s reliability.
According to the company, sustainable operation of this unit will reduce BOF air emissions by almost two-fold.
During repair works, a new oxygen lance with a rate of 2,000 m3/minute is to be installed. Similar units have been already installed in the plant’s other BOF vessels and have proven their efficiency. A fixed two-station machine for top oxygen blowing is to reduce the time for oxygen lance replacement from 45 to 10 minutes.
Metinvest plans to carry out the overhaul during June to July of 2011. Quality preparation and large-size units pre-assembly will minimize repair duration and prevent substantial cuts in production.
“High quality of repairs is one of the crucial goals to be attained in the process of operational efficiency improvement”, noted Alexander Podkorytov, the General Director of Yenakiieve Steel. “In preparation and carrying out of such major activities, as the BOF overhaul, nothing shall be left to chance.
“We have thought through all the aspects to make a modern and highly productive unit possible,” added Podkorytov. “And, of course, we paid much attention to improving the working conditions of the personnel and increasing safety of BOF operation.”
