UrBC, Yekaterinburg, July 15, 2016. EVRAZ Holding’s Nizhniy Tagil Integrated Metallurgical Works (NTMK) announced it was going to put up a new blast furnace. The foundation of the future unit, with a symbolic commemorative plaque, was laid in the course of a solemn ceremony on Metallurgist’s Day on July 14, the company press service reports.

‘We keep investing in the development of our metallurgical facilities in Nizhniy Tagil, despite the unfavorable situation on the market at the moment,’ says EVRAZ Holding Vice President Maxim Andriasov.

‘The construction of new Blast Furnace 7 is an alternative to shutting down our Blast Furnace 6 for an overhaul and is expected to help keep the plant’s annual pig iron output at 5m tonnes a ear.’

The new furnace will be 2,200 m3 big and produce 2.5m tonnes of pig iron a year. The facility will comprise two separate mold yards, automated cooling and loading systems, powerful dust exhausting devices, and air heaters. Additional dust-catching units and sleeve filters will increase the quality of air filtering by 2.5 times, while an improved slag-removing unit will prevent process water leakage. The new, greener technologies will reduce the blast furnace’s environmental impact considerably and will greatly improve the working conditions on the site.