Mechel PAO launched a blast furnace, in which it previously invested $14.87mn to upgrade, that will increase output by 40pc.
With the upgrade, the ferroalloy ore-smelting furnace’s capacity increased from 25MVA to 33MVA.
The furnaces used at the plant play a key role in producing ferrosilicon that’s used in steelmaking across the globe. Blast furnace No. 3, which was selected for the upgrade, was dismantled and rebuilt with a new ferroalloy smelting bath, dosage bathing system, gas cleaning system, and with full automation. The upgrades raised capacity while also mitigating environmental impact.
Blast furnace No. 3’s enhancements follow a previous upgrade to furnace No. 4, which Oleg Korzhov, Mechel’s chief executive officer, called the second stage of modernizing the company’s ferroalloy facilities. He added that the company is embarking upon additional upgrades in the near future that will increase efficiency and lower production costs.