Izhstal, a subsidiary of the Russian mining and steel producing company Mechel, plans in April this year to commission its new 350,000 mt capacity electro-smelting complex, which will allow it to gradually switch from the use of open hearth furnaces (OHF) in its steel making process.
Accordingly, the commissioning of the new electro-smelting complex, which includes a new 40 mt electric arc furnace (EAF), a new ladle furnace, a new continuous billet caster and a new vacuum degasser, will allow Izhstal to complete its large-scale program directed towards the reconstruction of its steelmaking facilities. The completion of the reconstruction, which was started in 2008, will be carried out in several stages. In the first stage Izhstal's new continuous billet caster with water treatment unit will be commissioned, in the second stage the plant's new EAF, ladle furnace and gas cleaning unit will be commissioned, while in the final stage the new vacuum degasser and the new slow cooling line for structural and special steels will be put into operation.