Built in 1978, BF-6 is now the second most productive of the site’s five blast furnaces, the company said. 

“Blast Furnace No. 6 overhaul is a major investment project within NLMK Group’s new strategic cycle,” said Vyacheslav Vorotnikov, managing director of NLMK Lipetsk. “As a result, we have a more productive and efficient furnace that will ensure higher output of pig iron and steel, and significantly reduce our environmental footprint.”

Artificial intelligence components are built into the furnace’s advanced automated control system, which is able to autonomously select optimal process parameters. In addition, a new air treatment system captures 99.9% of dust particles. The resulting blast furnace gas is used for energy generation at NLMK’s cogeneration plant, while the slag is processed into construction materials. 

NLMK has more details on the project here.