Blast furnace A has been fired back up following a complete upgrade process lasting just over 100 days. In completely relining blast furnace A, Salzgitter has taken a key operational step in securing its pig iron supply against the backdrop of its incremental transformation towards low-carbon steel production by 2033.
During the construction phase, blast furnace A was completely refurbished – or relined, as it is referred to in the steel industry. This included replacing the refractory lining with 3,000 tonnes of carbon bricks and other refractory materials.
The complex process and control technology was also upgraded. Just over €100 million was invested in the relining process, in which Pirson Montage AG was also involved as an essential partner.
Ulrich Grethe, Chairman of the Management Board of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, explains:
“This relining gives us and our customers and partners the security we need to keep consistently moving forward with the transformation of steel production. Based on a secure basic supply of pig iron, we will take the next steps forward with SALCOS® – Salzgitter Low CO₂ Steelmaking.”
Gerd Baresch, Managing Director Technology at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, comments:
“We would like to thank all our staff and all our partners’ staff for their commitment. An extremely complex project like this one can only succeed thanks to a large number of dedicated specialists working together collaboratively. We have now made blast furnace A fit for its final production cycle.”
Blast furnace A first went into operation in 1977 and has since been relined several times. It has an annual capacity of around 2 million tonnes of pig iron.
