Ashinskiy to commission new EAF-120 in early April 2010

Russian steel producer Ashinskiy Metallurgical Works (Ashinskiy) plans in early April 2010 to commission its new electro-smelting shop, which includes a unique-for-Russia 120-ton electric arc furnace (EAF-120) with an annual production capacity of about one million mt. The first steel is planned to be melted on April 7, 2010.
 
According to Ashinskiy general director Vladimir Evstratov, the new EAF-120 will allow the plant to save about $7 per each metric ton of melted steel, and to reduce the time of a single melting process from the current four hours to 50 minutes in the future. "This is a significant achievement, which will be reflected in the reduction of the costs of the production, and, respectively, to the increase of its competitiveness and capacity," Mr. Evstratov said.
 
Following the commissioning of its new EAF-120, Ashinskiy will be able to close its three existing open hearth furnaces which have a total annual capacity of 750,000-800,000 mt, with the last furnace scheduled to be decommissioned in June 2010.
 
As SteelOrbis previously reported, after the completion of the modernization of its steel smelting production facilities, Ashinskiy is to start the modernization of its rolling facilities. In particular, next year the plant is to start working on the construction of a new flat rolling shop, which is planned to be commissioned in July 2015.