According to CEO Roman Heide, the upgrade marks a "historic milestone" that will allow the furnace to operate for decades to come. He emphasized the company's commitment to maintaining integrated steel production in preparation for future investments in the energy transition, including plans to develop an electric arc furnace.
The reconstruction project, completed one third faster than usual, is focused on replacing the most worn-out refractory linings in the hearth.
Other upgraded components include a new central air and gas heating system that provides air temperatures up to 1230°C, an updated gas pipeline and updated cooling systems, material loading conveyors, control systems and gas analyzers.
Project details:
Furnace volume: 1,373 m3
Daily production capacity: 3,200 tons of cast iron
Total historical capacity: more than 55 million tons since 1923
Restarting blast furnace No. 4 enhances
