“The fifth blast furnace has been operating for over 14 years and this refurbishment project is expected to more than double its lifespan. This is an ambitious project which will require a variety of innovative technical solutions,” Severstal chief executive officer Alexander Shevelev said in a statement. 

Under the contract, Paul Wurth will design and supply a Bell Less Top charging system with a parallel hopper and a chute gearbox. It also will provide a two-stage top gas cleaning plant equipped with an axial cyclone and an annular gap scrubber with a demister. 

“This configuration … and its possible set points ensure a high cleaning efficiency, a significant reduction of sludge production and provide the possibility of higher iron return rates into the main metallurgical cycle,” the company said in a statement. 

Additionally, Paul Wurth will install four INBA slag granulation plants with dynamic dewatering capabilities. 

The ancillary equipment will be added in 2018 and 2019, and the primary equipment and automated control system are to be installed in 2020. 

Nicknamed Severyanka, the No. 5 furnace is one of Europe’s largest blast furnaces by volume. It has a nameplate capacity of more than 4 million metric tons annually.