NLMK Group has begun the replacement of turbo generator #5 at the Lipetsk site co-generation plant.
Installation of the latest technology in place of the existing obsolete hardware will boost equipment reliability and increase the generator’s operating capacity by 10% to 60MW. NLMK’s gross installed captive generation capacity is 502MW, with energy self-sufficiency totalling 54% of consumption. An agreement for engineering and supply of the main process equipment has been executed with the Urals Turbine Plant. Construction and assembly works are scheduled for 2016; whilst launch is planned for 2017. Investment in the project will total approximately EUR 30.6M, with a payback period of 1.4 years.
Photo courtesy of NLMK
Alexander Starchenko, NLMK Vice President for Energy, said: ‘This new project is another step towards increasing the efficiency of NLMK’s energy complex. It will help ensure a reliable supply of energy for steelmaking operations; and maximise the use of by-product blast furnace gas as fuel.’
The resulting reduction in energy generation during the course of the project will be offset by redistribution of the capacities of other energy-generation units, including NLMK’s two new top-pressure recovery turbines. The first top-pressure recovery turbine was launched in June 2015, with the second coming online in 2016.
