Nizhny Tagil Iron and Steel Works (NTMK), a subsidiary of the Russian steel producer Evraz Group, has halted production at its oxygen converter No. 3 to carry out reconstruction work. The reconstruction will be carried out within 65 days, during which the main equipment of the converter will be replaced. Following the reconstruction of the converter, its productivity will increase to 160 mt of melted steel per 30 min.
The reconstruction of the oxygen converter No. 3 is being carried out in the framework of a major reconstruction of NTMK's oxygen converter workshop, which includes modernization of four oxygen converters. The reconstruction of two of the converters has already been completed, while the last one - i.e. oxygen converter No. 4 - will be modernized in 2009. Following the reconstruction of the workshop, its annual production capacity will increase to 4.2 million mt.
A contract for the modernization in question was signed with Austrian company Siemens-Voest-Alpine in June 2006.