Salzgitter Flachstahl (SZFG) has invested in a new major plant within the metallurgy area, namely the coal-injection system for the A and B blast furnaces. This plant has now commenced operation.
In the past, oil was used in the blast furnace process as a replacement reducing agent for coke, which is now replaced with ground coal. SZFG produces 4.3Mt of pig iron a year. Initially around 370,000t of coal will be processed a year in the new system. Long-term plans envisage this figure to rise to 700,000t.Due to the increase in oil prices in recent years, the project is very cost efficient, even in light of volatile price developments. The Salzgitter Group invested some EUR 78M for the system’s construction.
Photo courtesy of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH
The coal is transported to Salzgitter by train and ship through the Hansaport group port in Hamburg. New conveyor systems were installed in the factory harbour. The core of the investment project is the 70m high coal-grinding and drying plant where the coal is dried and ground in order then to replace the oil and external coke in the A and B blast furnaces. Construction commenced in January 2014 and the system was already operating early in the spring of 2015.
The major share of the steel sections for the coal grinding and drying plant was manufactured by sister company Peiner Träger.
