OREANDA-NEWS. August 29, 2016. Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol completed another phase of sinter plant reconstruction as part of the Program for Environment Protection and Improvement in Mariupol for 2012-2020. On August 26, after major overhaul and replacement of gas cleaning equipment, sintering machine No.4 with 1 mtpa capacity was commissioned.

Earlier, the specialists of Metinvest Promservice upgraded the ignition furnace and installed new cost-effective burners on sintering machine No.4. Thus, natural gas consumption in the process of sinter heating and sintering was reduced by 10%.

After dismantling of the old air cleaner, new generation equipment supplied by Termokimik Corporation (Italy) was installed on the sintering machine. A modern process control microprocessor system was introduced during major overhaul.

In 2015, similar major overhauls were completed for sintering machines Nos. 1-3 at the enterprise. Replacement of gas cleaning equipment on sintering machine No.5 will be the next phase of sinter plant reconstruction.

Yuriy Zinchenko, general director of Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol said,

- Reconstruction of sinter plant gas cleaning units is a unique large-scale project in the history of independent Ukraine. Its total cost is estimated to be USD 220 million. Technologies of Termokimik Corporation (Italy) guarantee a reduction in hazardous sulfur compound emissions by 43% and dust emissions by 90%, respectively.

Today our sinter plant celebrates its anniversary; this division of the enterprise is 50 years old. And by this important date for us, we made our sinter plant more environmentally friendly, having completed the reconstruction of gas cleaning unit of sintering machine No.4.