After a complete rebuild with modernisation, size increase and capacity expansion, the Blast Furnace at JSW Steel’s Vijayanagar Works, Toranagallu, Karnataka, India has recently been blown in. This was achieved after a very short phase of cold and hot commissioning which started 12 days before with a first furnace leak test followed by pressure test, furnace drying, heating and first filling. A smooth and safe blow-in and ramp-up allowed achieving 83% of nominal production level within the first week of operation.
Paul Wurth’s contractual obligations covered design, engineering, procurement and supply of equipment for the entirely new Blast Furnace and all its main auxiliary plants, basic engineering for the erection and its planning as well as supervision of erection and commissioning for the major plant units.
The new furnace features a modern profile, all-staves thin-wall cooling system, extensive instrumentation and process recording devices, a parallel-hopper Bell Less Top with a MIDI type gearbox, a completely modernised casthouse with new and displaced equipment, adjusted runner design, access ramps and platforms as well as de-dusting facilities.
JSW´s new No.1 BF replaces its predecessor which has been in operation since 2004. It is supported on the old but reinforced foundations and fits into the existing square tower.
