Russian steelmaker NLMK Group has announced that it has commissioned four more high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR) units, boosting productivity of its iron ore subsidiary Stoilensky’s beneficiation plant by 800,000 mt of iron ore concentrate to 17.4 million mt per year. As a result, Stoilensky has now covered 100 percent of the group’s blast furnace needs in iron ore concentrate with a Fe content of over 65 percent.
Konstantin Lagutin, NLMK Group vice president of investment projects, stated that investment in HPGR technology and expansion of ore extraction amounted to RUB 4.5 billion ($77.17 million). According to Mr. Lagutin, this is the most significant of Stoilensky’s remaining Strategy 2017 investment projects. This project to implement HPGRs at the beneficiation plant, together with other initiatives, will enable the company to bring concentrate output up to 17.4 million mt per year by 2018, he added.