The Russian steel company Severstal has announced the start of construction of a heat recovery plant (UTPP) at the Cherepovets Metallurgical Combine (CherMK), its flagship production site. The project aims to expand the company's own energy capacity by converting blast furnace gas into electricity, as well as achieve significant emissions reductions.
According to the company, the project is a key part of Severstal's energy efficiency and decarbonization strategy.
The power plant, worth more than 10 billion rubles ($126.42 million), will:
- increase Severstal's own electricity production through the use of industrial gas waste,
- reduce dependence on purchased natural gas,
- reduce emissions by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 420,000 tons of carbon per year,
- to enable CherMK to meet up to 95 percent of its electricity needs through its own generation.
The company stressed that the project supports the company's goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent by 2030 compared to 2020 levels.
Technical scope of the new facility
The UTES will include a water treatment system, a steam boiler, a condensing turbine, and a closed-cycle water cooling system with a fan. the tower, 220 kV electrical connection and auxiliary infrastructure.
This configuration will allow CherMK to utilize about 2.7 billion m3 of blast furnace gas per year, producing about 1.2 billion kWh of electricity from recycled resources.
Support for future production at CherMK
The new plant will also supply electricity to facilities under construction in Cherepovets, including an iron ore pellet production facility, which expands Severstal's ability to expand production using low-emission electricity.
Construction, commissioning and testing of the equipment are planned to be completed in the second half of 2026.
