Russia-based leading global iron ore and hot briquetted iron (HBI) producer Metalloinvest has announced that its subsidiary Ural Steel has completed modernization of the vacuum degasser at its electric arc furnace shop, which has increased the unit’s capacity by 50 percent to 1.8 million mt per year. Total investments in the project amounted to RUB 230 million. The supplier of the equipment was Italian plantmaker Danieli.
The upgraded vacuum degasser unit allows for higher production volumes of treated steel and hence increases the output of steel products.
Andrey Ugarov, Metalloinvest’s COO, stated that as Ural Steel introduces the production of new types of railway wheel billets and blooms, the company needs more vacuumed steel and the vacuum degasser upgrade allows it to significantly increase the output of high-quality steel products that are demanded by its customers.