Russian steelmaker Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has announced that the second stage of its new hi-tech sinter plant is scheduled for commissioning in the near future and is expected to add an additional $40 million to the company’s EBITDA per year. In addition to the increased productivity, the unit should significantly decrease MMK’s environmental impact.
Sinter plant No. 5 has a capacity of up to 5.5 million mt of high-quality raw materials per year. MMK pointed out that agglomerate with higher iron content allows an increase in productivity and a decrease in coke consumption, and thus the cost of producing pig iron using agglomerate from the new unit should decline by $8/mt. The first stage of the sinter plant was commissioned in April 2019.
Construction of the new sinter plant is part of MMK’s large-scale investment strategy, which includes significant upgrades to the first processing stage. ММК has already started design works for the construction of a new coke battery, upon commissioning of which five existing batteries will be gradually decommissioned. MMK also plans to construct a new blast furnace which will replace three existing ones. While implementing its investment program, MMK aims to further decrease production costs and improve the quality of its products, while focusing on environmental protection.