Russian steelmaker Severstal has announced the commissioning of heating furnace No. 3 at Mill 2000 of CherMK, the company’s largest hot rolling facility. The launch marks the completion of one of the most critical phases of the company’s four-year refurbishment program, which involved an investment of over RUB 10 billion.
“In challenging market conditions, we are completing a key stage of the Mill 2000 modernization - the reconstruction of the reheating furnaces. This is our strategic contribution to the sustainability and quality of products for key sectors of the Russian economy,” stated Evgeny Vinogradov, CEO of Severstal's Russian Steel and Resource Assets Division.
Increased capacity and output
The new furnace is designed with 1.5 times higher throughput than its predecessors:
- Cold charge capacity: 400 mt/hour
- Hot charge capacity: 500 mt/hour
With this, Mill 2000’s annual rolled product output will rise to 7 million mt, ensuring higher production efficiency and stronger competitiveness in a turbulent market environment.
Energy efficiency and sustainability upgrades
The modernization introduces several advanced systems:
- A thermal management system that minimizes metal and gas consumption.
- A new pumped water circulation system with dry cooling towers, replacing the old evaporative cooling method.
- Closed-loop water circulation, significantly reducing chemically treated water use.
These improvements contribute to greater sustainability and a reduced environmental footprint.