NLMK Lipetsk, the flagship site of NLMK Group, has relaunched Blast Furnace No.6 (BF-6) following a large-scale upgrade.

The overhaul of Blast Furnace No.6 is one of NLMK Group’s Strategy 2022 key projects. As a result, the maximum output of the furnace increased by 8% to 3.4 million tonnes of pig iron per year. A new air treatment system captures 99.9% of dust particles, keeping residual dust content at the level of best available techniques (BAT) of 5 mg/m³.

All of the blast furnace gas formed as a by-product in the manufacturing of pig iron is used for energy generation at NLMK’s cogeneration plant, while blast furnace slag is processed into construction materials. The total CAPEX for the project amounted to over RUB 35 billion.

The furnace is equipped with an advanced automated control system with built-in artificial intelligence components. The system is able to autonomously select optimal process parametres, boosting blast furnace performance.

Vyacheslav Vorotnikov, Managing Director of NLMK Lipetsk, said:
“Blast Furnace No.6 overhaul is a major investment project within NLMK Group’s new strategic cycle. As a result, we have a more productive and efficient furnace that will ensure higher output of pig iron and steel, and significantly reduce our environmental footprint.”

Blast Furnace No.6 was built in 1978, and is now the second most productive blast furnace at NLMK. In addition to BF-6, NLMK Lipetsk operates four other blast furnaces: BF-3 (1.6 million tpa), BF-4 (2million tpa), BF-5 (2.9 million tpa) and BF-7 (4.2 million tpa).

About NLMK Group

NLMK Group is the largest steelmaker in Russia and one of the most efficient in the world.

NLMK Group’s steel products are used in various industries, from construction and machine building to the manufacturing of power-generation equipment and offshore wind turbines.

NLMK operates production facilities in Russia, Europe and the United States. The Company’s steel production capacity exceeds 17 million tonnes per year.

NLMK has the most competitive cash cost among global manufacturers and one of the highest profitability levels in the industry. In 12M 2018, the Company generated $12 billion in revenue and $3.6 billion in EBITDA. Net debt/EBITDA stood at 0.25õ. The Company has investment grade credit ratings from S&P, Moody’s, Fitch and Expert RA.

NLMK’s ordinary shares with a 18.6% free-float are traded on the Moscow Stock Exchange (ticker "NLMK") and its global depositary shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange (ticker "NLMK:LI"). The share capital of the Company is divided into 5,993,227,240 shares with a par value of RUB1. For more details on NLMK shareholder capital please follow the link.