NLMK Group has started hot-testing the pulverized coal injection (PCI) unit at one of the largest blast furnaces of its Lipetsk plant, namely blast furnace No. 6 with a capacity of 3.1 MT of pig iron per year.
This technology involves co-injecting natural gas and fine coal particles into the blast furnace, resulting in reduced coke consumption. Replacing expensive raw materials with cheaper alternatives, such as switching from coking coal to steam coal, reduces the cost of pig iron production approximately by 5%.
This resource-saving technology is being implemented at NLMK’s blast furnaces in turn. Previously, this technology was introduced at blast furnace No. 5 (2.7 MT per year) and blast furnace No. 4 (1.8 MT per year). Hot-testing of the PCI unit is due to begin at the largest and the most productive blast furnaces of NLMK’s Lipetsk plant, namely blast furnace No. 7 with a capacity of 4.3 MT per year.
Hot-testing is scheduled to end and start-up to begin in Q3 2017.
