Through its subsidiary ArcelorMittal Energy, a contract has been signed with Finland’s Valmet to install a fluidized bed boiler worth US$74m, replacing four coal-fired boilers. The new boiler, which is more energy efficient, will significantly reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and dust.
 
Along with the site’s ongoing desulfurization program and its project to reduce nitrogen oxides, the new boiler is a part of the overall modernization of Ostrava’s power plant. These investments will help reduce the company´s environmental footprint and ensure its power plant will comply with the European emission limits before they come into effect.
 
Valmet won tender for a circulating fluidized bed boiler, which will be installed and operational within three years. The fluidized bed boiler burns coal more efficiently than the current coal fired boilers and has a guaranteed efficiency of more than 92%, while producing very low emissions thanks to its high-quality design. It is equipped with facilities for desulfurization and reduction of nitrogen oxides emissions. At the same time the fabric filter will ensure a perfect de-dusting of flue gases.
 
“The boiler is the biggest environmental and modernization investment project since the 1990s when the mini-mill was built. It will fully replace the existing facilities while reducing emissions of gases and dust,” said the CEO of ArcelorMittal Ostrava, Tapas Rajderkar. "I am really proud that such important projects are implemented at ArcelorMittal Ostrava in spite of the continued unfavorable economic conditions. They will ensure not only a great reduction in emissions, but also the future of the company and its competitiveness in the market," he added.
 
All coal-fired boilers at the Ostrava power plant are being either replaced or overhauled: the new boiler (K14) will replace the four oldest ones, the desulfurization is being finalized at other four boilers (K8–K11) and three of them (K8–K10) will undergo de-nitrification — the eduction of nitrogen oxides emissions.
"We will be ready to commission the new boiler in the middle of 2016. It represents a very interesting contract for us; we are dealing with technology, environmental aspects and also demanding requirements of steelmaking operations. We appreciate the fact that it is us to offer new solutions and that we can make use of our 30-year experience in this field," said Kai Mäenpää, managing director of the Finnish company Valmet, the K14 contractor.
 
While the turnkey boiler project will be realised by Valmet, the desulphurisation and the de-nitrification facilities will be delivered by a number of Czech companies. ZVVZ-Enven Engineering is currently completing a US$25m project to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions and CKD Praha DIZ is responsible for a US$50m de-nitrification project. Both companies employ local firms as subcontractors. Among these are: VÍTKOVICE POWER ENGINEERING a.s.; VS-Invest a.s.; ELDAT, a.s.; VAMOZ-servis a.s.; Siemens s.r.o. and ORGREZ a.s. among others.
 
Pavel Marik, project manager from ZVVZ-Enven Engineering, explained the high specifications for this new technology: "We had to design and complete the desulphurisation in a way that would ensure a operations could continue at the plant. The necessary parts of the facility are therefore duplicated so that no desulphurisation or boiler operation failure occurs in the case of malfunction."
 
The boilers at the power plant also consume the gas generated during hot metal production. This leads to a significant reduction in environmental impact compared with other coal-powered power plants or heating plants. In this way the power plant of ArcelorMittal Ostrava can substitute up to one third of its coal consumption: "The gas from the coke plant and blast furnaces is used in our power plant boilers. This means we avoid burning around 200 metric tons of coal every year, which is an environmentally-friendly solution as well," says Petr Baranek, chief green officer and director of ArcelorMittal Energy Ostrava.
 
ArcelorMittal Energy Ostrava is a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal Ostrava. It has a total designed capacity of the boiler house of 1,435 tonnes boiler/h, the designed capacity of the power plant is 254 MW. All the generated energy, together with compressed and blown air or steam, which are also produced by the Power Plant, is used directly by the steelmaker. During the heating season, the Power Plant also supplies heat to inhabitants of Ostrava-Jih district.
 

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ArcelorMittal Ostrava a.s. is the largest steelmaker in the Czech Republic and part of the world’s largest steel and mining group ArcelorMittal. It has an annual production capacity of 3 million metric tons of steel. Besides the Czech market, the company sells its products to more than 40 countries around the world. ArcelorMittal Ostrava and its subsidiaries employ more than 7500 people. Average income of its employees amounted to CZK 34,352 in 2013. ArcelorMittal Ostrava produces iron and steel in compliance with all environmental legislation. It conforms to the EU best available techniques (BAT) emission limits that will come into force in 2016. The sole shareholder is ArcelorMittal Holdings A.G.