Russian steelmaker MMK Group has announced that it has successfully completed the large-scale modernization of its blast furnace (BF) No. 2, which was launched in February this year in order to increase productivity and to reduce coke use in melting. The upgraded unit is expected to be restarted in August this year.
During the reconstruction of blast furnace No. 2, the company replaced all elements of the old furnace, revamped the cooling system and reconstructed cast-houses. The company stated that the new aspiration system will reduce dust emissions by 250 mt per year. The company stated that it has made investments of over RUB 5 billion ($69.55 million) in total for the reconstruction of the furnace.
MMK chairman of the board Viktor Rashnikov said that the modernization of the blast furnace has increased the unit's productivity by more than 30 percent and will also provide a significant economic and environmental effect.
He also stated, “A breakthrough for our blast furnace production will be the construction of the new blast furnace complex No. 11, which we plan to complete in 2024. This will become the most modern furnace with a capacity of 3.7 million mt of pig iron per year. It will be built in accordance with the best available technologies. Its launch will allow us to put three existing blast furnaces out of operation and reduce emissions by 6,600 mt.”