One of the area of priority of PJSC “Zaporizhstal” is the increasing of energy efficiency and production resources conservation.
Energy management system of the Steel Works was certified for the compliance with international standard ISO 50001 that allows achieving significant energy savings by applying best management practices without significant investment. Energy management system allows reducing the cost and energy intensity of products, energy sources costs, improves waste management and ensures the compliance with the requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Amongst the key successfully implemented by PJSC “Zaporizhstal” energy conservation projects is putting into operation a pulverized coal injection plant, which allowed the Steel Works completely to stop using natural gas in blast furnace production.
In spring 2016 PJSC “Zaporizhstal” together with “Zaporozhkoks” implemented a project for the secondary gases exchange. Nowadays a cheaper analogue of natural gas is used in sinter plant, power plant, rolling mill shops (blooming shop, hot strip rolling shop) – mixed coke-oven and blast-furnace gas and mixed natural gas and blast-furnace gas.
Therefore in 2016 the Steel Works record decreased the consumption of natural gas in production to 160 million m3, which is 22% (44 million m3) lower than 2015 values (204 million m3), and this is an obvious success. The plan for the future is to changeover from open-hearth furnace method of steelmaking to converter method. This will allow achieving an even more significant energy-conserving effect
In 2017, under the project implementation for the secondary gases exchange between “Zaporizhstal” and “Zaporozhkoks”, a gas flow adjuster of waste-heat boiler РК85-1 of coking plant was modernized. This allowed increasing the volume of coke-oven gas supplies to Zaporizhstal to 8 million m3 per year, reducing natural gas consumption by 4 million m3per year. The economic benefit will allow Zaporizhstal to save UAH 26 million per year additionally.
A lot of attention is paid to the efficiency of electricity and other energy resources at the Steel Works.
As an example, there is a popular System of bids submission at the Steel Works. All rational ideas of “Zaporizhstal” employees are being introduced into production. The authors of the implemented projects are rewarded. In 2016, the economic benefit of the System amounted to UAH 215 million.