A large scientific and industrial meeting was held at the Palace of Culture of Metallurgists. At the meeting the advanced experience of metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine in the field of resource and energy-saving technologies, advanced solutions during reconstruction and modernization of equipment in the sintering plant and blast furnace production were summarized. The ways of solving ecological problems were also discussed.
The organizers of the meeting were: Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine, Association of Enterprises “Metallurgprom”, Association “Center for raw materials preparation and iron smelting” and Zaporizhstal JSC. Taking into consideration the urgency of the mentioned problems the participants of the meeting represented about 40 professional associations, scientific centers, industrial and metallurgical enterprises.
– At present, due to the economical crisis the domestic industry is going through difficult times. But metallurgists, once again experiencing hardships, believe in a bright future, — said the first Deputy Chairman of the Board, Alexander Putnoki.
– Like all enterprises, Zaporizhstal JSC has its own re-equipment and reconstruction programme. And they all have identical targets. First of all, this is reduction of expenditures for the production of basic products, introduction of energy-saving technologies, improvement of the products’ quality and widening of the range of products.
During reconstruction of the second and third blast furnaces of the Works the recent research works were taken into consideration. In the framework of the project of blast furnace No.2 several energy-saving objects were put into operation. As a result the production of personal electric power totals to approximately100 000 000 KW/hr.
The aspiration system from the tail parts of all the six sintering machines was put into operation. This unique modern installation which, according to its technical characteristics corresponds to European norms, allowed not only to substantially decrease emissions into atmosphere but also catch and return to production about 2.5 thousand tons of dust. Mantling and putting into operation of the wagon tilter in the blast furnace shop is almost over.
At Zaporizhstal the new oxygen block was put into operation with capacity 60 thousand m3, allowing to produce oxygen with a higher degree of purification. Other large scale projects have also been carried out.
– We have made out a sintering plant reconstruction programme, — announced Alexander Putnoki. — We are planning to replace all the six sintering machines increasing the sintering area up to 75m2. Equipment for the first sintering machine has already been received. During replacement of the sintering machines we will also solve the task of reducing their influence on environment.
In the framework of the energy-saving programme a project for construction of an installation for production of pulverized coal fuel is being realized at the Works. The contract has already been signed. In 2009 mantling of the installation is to be finished according to the plan, after which it is to be put into operation. This will allow complete stopping of the usage of natural gas in the blast furnace shop, which correspondingly will decrease the usage of coke.
The construction of the oxygen converter shop has started. A contract with “Siemens-VAI” has already been signed for the reconstruction of steel production and its transfer to converter production of steel with following continuous casting.
Works regarding reconstruction of production are underway at each plant. That is why all those present at the meeting were interested in getting acquainted with the experience of their co-workers in solving this or that question, influencing the indices of sintering and blast furnace production.
The participants of the meeting noted the particular importance of mutual communication in the framework of such forums. Experts exchanged their experience. Their developments are used during reconstruction of metallurgical aggregates. This helps enterprises to choose the most efficient way of technical re-equipment and reconstruction.
The metallurgists are sure that working for the future will help to overcome the crisis with minimum losses. Moreover the workers understand that the actions of only metallurgists will not be enough. The economical crisis is a state level problem.
The memorandum signed by the metallurgists and the Government solves only part of the problem. According to the opinion of the participants of the meeting, irrespective of certain steps directed towards preferences, a lot is demanded from metallurgists. It is particularly important to raise questions regarding the necessity of regulating prices for raw materials. At present for domestic metallurgy, striving to develop not only foreign but also domestic markets, this problem remains one of the most important ones.