ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih started overhaul of blast furnaces

On March 18, an intensive overhaul began. Most of the repairs will be carried out in the first half of the year.
The repair of blast furnace No. 6 will last six days and will be completed this weekend. The charging device and skips of the main lift will be replaced here, as well as air heaters and equipment of the charge supply section will be repaired. In this section, raw materials are prepared for loading into the furnace, and the technology of blast furnace smelting and the productivity of the blast furnace depend on its reliable operation. They will also repair gas treatment plants, which will make it possible to reduce the impact on the environment and improve working conditions at workplaces. The company's expenses for the overhaul of this furnace will amount to UAH 112 million.

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih will allocate about UAH 240 million for overhaul of the third category of blast furnace No. 9 - the largest at the metallurgical plant. It will be stopped on April 20 for 45-48 days. It is planned to replace the cooling plates of the furnace shaft and the charging apparatus at this blast furnace, repair the casing, gunning the furnace shaft and pouring refractory concrete into the hearth. The planned repairs will allow the "nine" to work stably for another two years before the start of its full modernization, which is scheduled for 2021.

The purpose of overhauls is to ensure stable operation of blast furnaces, increase their productivity and, accordingly, reduce the cost of pig iron. In addition, this will allow the enterprise to fulfill this year's business plan for the production of sinter and pig iron, to ensure the utilization of steelmaking shops and the enterprise as a whole.