Technical upgrade of the hot blast duct at NLMK Lipetsk
The objective was to debottleneck insufficiencies in heat capacity of the block made up of three stoves at BF-3 that prevented attaining maximum hot blasting temperature and led to increased coke consumption. In addition, refractory lining wear led to increased carbon oxide emissions.
After the upgrade, Stoves No. 8 and 8A from BF No. 2 were transferred from BF-2 to BF-3, and Stove No. 9 was converted into a backup one, enabling the operation of BF-3 with four stoves. The works were carried out while production was ongoing, without any output losses.
This project enabled a reduction in coke consumption by 8 kg/t.
Investment totalled RUB 32.5 million. The project payback period was 3.5 months.