The Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has announced the shutdown of its coke batteries No. 3 and No. 4, which have a combined annual capacity of 0.68 million mt, due to the low demand for coke and steel products in both the domestic and foreign markets.
According to NLMK's production program, the batteries in question, which were commissioned in 1959, had been scheduled to be decommissioned by 2011, because of equipment deterioration and the high levels of their emissions during the production process.
As a result of the shutdown, NLMK's total coke output will be reduced to 7.3 million mt, including 2.7 million mt at its main production site and 4.6 million mt at its West Siberian subsidiary Altai-koks, the largest coke producer in Russia. Accordingly, the remaining coke-making capacity is to ensure NLMK's 100 percent self-sufficiency in coke, including its plans to increase its blast furnace capacity after finalizing the construction of its BF No. 7 in Lipetsk.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, in October 2008, NLMK decommissioned its coke batteries No. 7 and No. 8, with a combined annual capacity of 1.04 million mt.