Russian steel company Severstal reported that the Cherepovets Iron and Steel Works (CherMK), one of its key assets, achieved a record reduction in solid fuel consumption at blast furnace No. 4 in the second quarter of 2026, while setting a third consecutive monthly record for natural gas use.
According to the company, solid fuel consumption decreased to 334.86 kg per ton of pig iron, while natural gas consumption reached m3 per ton, which is due to the use of raw materials with a higher content of iron ore pellets, as well as a major overhaul of the blast furnace carried out in 2025, which included the modernization of gas pipelines, the charge loading system, refractory lining and cooling elements.
Severstal said that the replacement traditional solid fuel with natural gas increases operational efficiency and supports the technological development strategy, as well as the systematic reduction of coke, increasing the use of natural gas and hydrogen-containing products. emission reductions reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 3.4 percent compared to the 2020 baseline.
The technology is now used at all five operating CherMK blast furnaces and covers loading modes, raw material combinations and gas blower parameters.
