Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has announced that it has signed an agreement with Luxembourg-based plantmaker Paul Wurth for the reconstruction of its blast furnace No.6 (BF-6), which has a capacity of 3.2 million mt per year, at its production site in Lipetsk.
The upgrade, planned to begin in the first quarter of 2018, will extend the service life of the blast furnace by at least 20 years; and boost its productivity by eight percent to 3.4 million mt of pig iron per year. The capital expenditure for the upgrade project is expected to be around RUB 7.5 billion ($102.3 million).
NLMK stated that the project is part of NLMK’s Strategy 2017 program aimed at upgrading and enhancing the reliability of its equipment. At the same time, it will have a substantial economic effect. The upgrade will result in a blast furnace that is greener, more productive, and more efficient in terms of its consumption rates. Reconstruction of the blast furnace dedusting systems will provide a six-fold increase the efficiency of air treatment.