Russian steelmaker NLMK Group has said that it has relaunched its blast furnace No. 6 following a large-scale upgrade, which has led to an eight percent increase in the maximum output of the furnace, according to an official company statement on November 5.
The overhaul of the equipment has been one of NLMK Group’s Strategy 2022 key projects and has resulted in a hike of maximum production of the furnace to 3.4 million mt per year. “As a result, we have a more productive and efficient furnace that will ensure higher output of pig iron and steel, and significantly reduce our environmental footprint,” said Vyacheslav Vorotnikov, managing director NLMK. The total capital expenditure for the project was RUB 35 billion ($552 million).
The furnace’s relaunch will lead to an increase in the pig iron exports of the company, because they had been reduced due to the furnace stoppage, market sources said. Moreover, it may lead to higher HRC supply.
Apart from the blast furnace No. 6, the producer operates four other units: BF-3 (1.6 million mt per year), BF-4 (2 million mt), BF-5 (2.9 million mt) and BF-7 (4.2 million mt).