The Ukrainian steel producer Enakievsk MZ (EMZ), a subsidiary of Metinvest Holding, has announced the beginning of the construction of its new blast furnace (BF) No.3. The investment in the project totals $260 million.
The new BF is planned to be commissioned in 2010 and will allow EMZ to increase its annual pig iron production to 1.2 million mt from the current level of 761,000 mt.
In addition, the introduction of new technologies in the construction of the new BF will allow EMZ to reduce the per-ton production costs of pig iron. Moreover, a future switch from gas to coal dust injection technology will be possible at the new BF, which will allow the reduction of coke and iron use in production.
The construction of the new BF is a part of EMZ's modernization program aimed at reconstruction of the plant's BF capacities.