In accordance with the investment programme Integrated Iron And Steel Works “Zaporizhstal” of Metinvest Group has shut down blast furnace No. 3 for a major overhaul of the second class. About UAH 200 million will be allocated for the blast furnace revamping.
As a part of the major overhaul, specialists from Zaporizhstal, Metinvest-Promservice, Zaporozhogneupor and other contractors will replace the tuyere cooling plates, restore the refractory lining of the furnace, and carry out an in-depth inspection and repair of mechanisms of the charge feeding equipment and the cast yard. Particular attention will be paid to the maintenance of aspiration system of the cast yard and hopper overpass, as well as elements of modern gas cleaning.
“We continue to implement a comprehensive programme of technical revamping of the blast furnace shop main production units. Air heater No. 9 is in the final stages of repair, and revamping of air heater No. 13 is ongoing. These measures, together with the BF No. 3 major overhaul, will improve the reliability and efficiency of the entire blast furnace process stage. In 2023, the works will allocate UAH 450 million for the major overhauls of the blast furnace shop units,” said Roman Slobodianiuk, CEO of Zaporizhstal, Metinvest Group.
The main goal of the 17-day major overhaul of blast furnace No. 3 is to restore the unit’s service life and design characteristics, as well as to improve the efficiency of production and environmental equipment.
It’s worth reminding that in 2017 Zaporizhstal have completely reconstructed blast furnace No. 3 in record time – 8 months instead of two years. Over UAH 1.5 billion was allocated to implement the large-scale investment project. BF No. 3 is equipped with modern instrumentation that allows for maximum automation of the furnace operation in line with the best international practices, and the blast furnace’s annual output is almost 1 million tonnes of pig iron.