en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 10, Russia's Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) announced that Blast Furnace No. 7 has completed a major overhaul and been recommissioned, now reaching its operational parameters. The overhaul lasted approximately one year with a total investment of RUB 4.8 billion. Following the upgrade, the furnace's annual production capacity has increased from 1 million tonnes to 1.1 million tonnes of pig iron, a 10% increase, while coke consumption per tonne of pig iron has been reduced by 16 kilograms.

The overhaul focused on upgrading the furnace's hot blast stove system. Prior to the project, MMK had already constructed two new hot blast stoves; during the overhaul, the company completed the construction of Stove No. 24, a shaftless top-combustion hot blast stove, raising the hot blast temperature to 1,250 degrees Celsius. The sinter feed system was also adjusted to accommodate cold sinter supplied by Sinter Plant No. 5.

The furnace body and auxiliary facilities underwent systematic renewal, including foundation repairs, replacement of hearth cooling pipes and iron-receiving components, and installation of a new furnace shell, cooling equipment, and throat protection devices. The blast valves, hot blast stove shut-off valves, skip hoists, and the power supply and automatic control systems were upgraded simultaneously, with up to 1,000 personnel working per shift during peak construction periods.

MMK's previous overhaul of the same scale on Blast Furnace No. 7 was carried out in 2002. This round of work involved a comprehensive renewal of the furnace body, hot blast system, material handling, and automatic control facilities. Following recommissioning, the equipment will undertake the designated production tasks of the ironmaking shop.