The Russian mining and steel producing company Mechel has announced that, in the presence of the Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin, it has commissioned a new electric steelmaking complex at its subsidiary Izhstal, which will allow it to gradually switch from the use of open hearth furnaces (OHF) in its steelmaking process.
Accordingly, the new electric steelmaking complex consists of a new 40 mt electric arc furnace (EAF) supplied by Italian equipment producer Tenova with an hourly production rate of 56 mt and a new continuous slab caster. The facility will have an annual slab production capacity of more than 300,000 mt. In addition to the EAF and the continuous slab caster, a ladle metallurgy facility will be commissioned as part of the same process chain.
The commissioning of the new electric steelmaking complex is one of the key stages for the plant's large-scale technical upgrade program for the period 2007-2011, which provides for the renovation of the steelmaking complex and the modernization of the steel rolling facilities of Izhstal.
Project investments have totaled Ruble 5.8 billion (about $188 million).
"The technical modernization of the plant will result in more effective production, reduced costs and compliance with global quality standards, and will allow us to satisfy the demand for specialty steel grades from the automobile, aircraft, aerospace and construction industries," Mechel's chairman of the board Igor Zyuzin commented.