Russia's Severstal overhauls its largest blast furnace

At the beginning of this month, Russian steel giant Severstal commenced the first stage overhaul of the Severianka Blast Furnace No.5 at Cherepovets Steel Mill (CherMK), the rating agency Rusmet reported. This step is part of the company's strategic plan to renew and modernise its main production units.

Blast Furnace No.5 is the largest pig iron production unit not only at CherMK, but also in the Russian steel industry as a whole. Its current capacity is 4.2 million tonnes (mnt) of pig iron per year, with the furnace producing 35% of CherMK's pig iron in 2023.

The main objective of the overhaul is to ensure high reliability and productivity of the strategically important facility. As part of the overhaul, the furnace's refractory lining, cooling system elements, upper dome, and armour plate will be replaced. It is also planned to replace all metal structures and linings of hot blast air ducts, as well as to build new conveyor equipment for raw material feed.

Special attention is paid to the environmental component. It is planned to install high-efficiency aspiration suctions, which will capture dust generated during production. It is also planned to upgrade the natural gas supply system in order to reduce CO2 emissions.

All overhaul work will be carried out by Severstal's own divisions. Suppliers of equipment and materials are Russian and Chinese companies.

Note: This article has been written in accordance with an article exchange agreement between MySteel Global and BigMint