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U. S. Steel Commissions US$500 Million C Battery at Clairton Coke Works

02/01/2013 - On 31 January 2013, the United States Steel Corporation successfully commissioned the largest capital project in the history of the company’s Mon Valley steel works — the more than 900,000 tons per year C battery at its Clairton coke plant.

On 31 January 2013, the United States Steel Corporation successfully commissioned the largest capital project in the history of the company’s Mon Valley steel works — the more than 900,000 tons per year C battery at its Clairton coke plant.
Scott Buckiso, general manager of U. S. Steel–Mon Valley Works, welcomed the media and invited guests, which included international president of the United Steelworkers, Leo Gerard; Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald; Senator Jim Brewster, D-PA; Rep. Rick Saccone, R-PA; other state and local elected officials and employees of U. S. Steel.
U. S. Steel chairman and chief executive officer John Surma explained that the project was initially announced in 2007, but was scaled back as a result of the global economic crisis and ensuing recession. The company forged ahead with the project, however, breaking ground in October 2008 and eventually producing its initial charge on 25 November 2012.
The US$500 million project replaces batteries 7–9 with a more technologically and environmentally advanced unit that employs Uhde’s PROven gas pressure control system, a patented process technology that meets the definition of “best available control technology” and that meets all regulatory requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Allegheny County Health Department. The PROven system controls pressure in the ovens from the time coal enters through the moment when the coke is pushed out. Emissions are contained using negative pressure control. The C battery is designed with a reduced number of coke ovens, lowering the number of openings through which emissions can escape.
The overall project also included the construction of a new low-emission quench tower to significantly reduce emissions, as well as the environmental rehabilitation of batteries 1–3. Two additional quench towers are also being constructed at the site, for a total of three low-emission quench towers. Their advanced design radically reduces the emissions generated as the coke is cooled with water.
The investment, one of the largest in the 112-year history of U. S. Steel, has not only resulted in significant environmental performance improvements at the Clairton plant, but is also helping to ensure the long-term viability of U. S. Steel’s entire Mon Valley Works, which employs more than 3,000 people at the Clairton coke plant, the Edgar Thomson steelmaking plant, the Irvin rolling mill (all located on the outskirts of Pittsburgh), and the Fairless finishing facility near Philadelphia. It also supports the company’s strategic raw materials and global cost-competitiveness initiatives.
The Clairton facility produces more than just coke, Surma noted in his remarks, as the coke oven gas generated there is also used at other U. S. Steel facilities, such as the Edgar Thomson and Irvin plants. Some 40 million Btu of energy is generated at the Mon Valley works — enough energy for 400,000 homes, he said.
The C battery project created 800 temporary construction jobs, and more than 2.2 million manhours were logged. Over 2.4 million refractory bricks were laid, with a total weight of 28,000 tons.
Surma, Gerard, the elected officials and other U. S. Steel employees participated in a ceremonial coin toss to commemorate the commissioning of the C battery. There is a historic cokemaking tradition at the company of tossing silver coins into the hot car following the first push of new coke batteries to signify the company’s commitment. The tradition was featured in the March 1958 issue of Iron and Steel Engineer when the Clairton Works’ No. 12 battery pushed its first coke (see photo below).
With its C battery investment and two new Carbonyx units at its Gary, Ind., steel works, U. S. Steel says it will now have the capability to produce all the coke it needs in North America.
Look for this article in the March 2013 issue of Iron & Steel Technology, which features coke and iron making technologies.