NLMK Relies on Paul Wurth for Major Blast Furnace Reline

PRESS RELEASE

NLMK Relies on Paul Wurth for Major Blast Furnace Reline

Luxembourg, 3 March 2016.In preparation of a complete reline of No. 6 Blast Furnace at Lipetsk/Russia, NLMK recently signed a contract awarding to Paul Wurth engineering, supply of equipment and technology as well as site supervision related to the rebuild of the BF’s central unit, i.e. the blast furnace proper and directly attached systems and equipment.

Paul Wurth will adapt the Basic Engineering (delivered at an earlier stage) to the final technical solutions chosen with the customer, and will be further in charge of the overall engineering which will be executed in close collaboration with local design institute Lipetsk Gipromez.

Paul Wurth’s scope of supply comprises the BF shell, hearth lining with super-microporous carbon and ceramic cup, all cooling elements (copper and cast iron staves, copper cooling boxes, tuyeres and tuyere coolers), low energy tuyere stocks and a completely new bustle pipe. The original Bell Less Top®, Paul Wurth’s first ever reference in the former Soviet Union and in operation since 1978, will be replaced completely by a new, parallel hopper type charging system (60 m3 hopper volume) including the pressure equalizing and bleeder valves. Furthermore, Paul Wurth will supply the cooling water pump house, the complete instrumentation, general electrical and control equipment.

On the process side, Blast Furnace control will be supported by TMT’s stockline recorders, the SOMA acoustic temperature measurement system and the 3DTopScan profilemeter.

For the casthouse, four sets of TMT’s fully hydraulic clay guns andtaphole drills as well as radar level probes for torpedo ladles became part of the order.

All hardware and equipment supply shall be made by the second half of 2017. It is planned to erect and commission the furnace in the frame of a 135 days shutdown starting February 2018.

NLMK’s new BF6, with a hearth diameter of 12.0 m, an inner volume of 3,818 m3, 32 tuyeres and 4 tapholes, will be designed for nominal production of 3.38 million tons of hot metal per year. Some important auxiliary plants related to this furnace are already subject of orders to Paul Wurth: improvement of the top gas cleaning system, energy recovery turbine (TRT) and the pulverised coal injection (PCI) plant for BFs No. 6 & 7 are currently under execution.