France-based machine industry company Fives Group has successfully completed its first oxygen enrichment project on an existing billet reheating furnace at SN Maia Siderurgia Nacional in Maia, Portugal. The objective of the project is to enhance furnace performance and boost energy efficiency.
SN Maia Siderurgia Nacional, the largest rebar production plant of the MEGASA Group - a leading European steelmaker - aimed to install a new oxygen system to reduce natural gas consumption.
The project was entrusted to Fives Group, which had previously modified the combustion system of the same furnace. The company has developed a new technology called PREMIXTM. This innovative system injects additional oxygen into the combustion air duct upstream of the burners, resulting in enhanced efficiency and performance. According to the company, oxygen levels were increased to 25 percent, with around six percent fuel savings, exceeding initial energy efficiency expectations.