ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih, Ukraine-based subsidiary of the world's largest steel producer ArcelorMittal, has issued the details of its modernization program.
Accordingly, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih is planning to implement a $234 million-worth, three-year long investment program aimed at the modernization and technical upgrading of its iron ore producing facility.
At its coke production facility, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih plans to complete the reconstruction of its coal warehouse facilities and also to strengthen the technological base of its coke producing workshop.
In its open-hearth workshop, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih plans to complete scheduled repairs of the first division of blast furnace No. 8 in 2008, which will be followed by scheduled repairs of blast furnaces No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 - those are to be completed in 2009, 2010, and 2011 respectively without lost in volume of pig iron output. In addition, the scheduled repair of blast furnace No. 9 is expected to be completed in 2013-2014.
Moreover, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih plans to increase its investment in energy-saving technologies by three-fold to UAH 35.5 million ($7.03 million). These investments will be directed at the introduction of the use of blast furnace and coke gases as substitutes for natural gas.
By 2012, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih plans to increase its iron ore production to 30 million metric tons, its iron ore concentrate production to 14.7 million metric tons, its agglomerate production to 19.6 million metric tons, its coke production to 4.3 million metric tons, its pig iron production to 10.7 million metric tons, its crude steel production to 12 million metric tons, its billets production to five million metric tons and its slab production to five million metric tons. The production of finished steel is planned as follows: 3.8 million metric tons of rebar, two million metric tons of wire rod, 300,000 metric tons of other longs, and 4.5 million metric tons of HRC. In addition, the mill plans to start production of HRC for the auto industry.
To achieve the abovementioned production volumes, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih plans to construct a new agglomerate factory, to introduce coal dust injection technology in its open-hearth production, to construct a new oxygen converter workshop with a continuous caster and hot rolling line with an annual production capacity of five million metric tons of HRC.