NLMK has commissioned an 800 tpd lime kiln (256,000 tpy) for the production of metallurgical lime used in steelmaking. The new facility will increase the refractory shop’s productivity by almost 20% and will fully cover the Lipetsk site’s increased demand following the commissioning of new iron and steelmaking capacities in 2012.  

The new kiln is twice as efficient as its existing counterparts at Novolipetsk, incorporating advanced refractories and burners in its design. The calcining process is controlled automatically at all lime production stages resulting in an almost 27% reduction in heat consumption per tonne of product. New filter design ensures an eight-fold enhancement in off-gas cleaning efficiency compared to the old technology.  Residual dust content in the air after cleaning is in line with the best available indicators across the industry today.     

The project was implemented together with Metso Minerals (USA), with investments totaling approximately RUB 2 billion.