OREANDA-NEWS. October 19, 2012.  The successful experience of JSC “Zaporizhstal” in the implementation of energy-saving project — technology for pulverized coal injection (PCI) — has become a determining factor in holding, on the basis of the Works, an Operational Meeting for the officials of the Blast Furnace production of the metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine, for the representatives of the leading Design Institutions, Associations, the pig iron manufacturers Association, “Metallurgprom” Amalgamation, on the 18th of October, 2012.

Within the framework of the meeting, the prospects and trends for further development of the Blast Furnace production technology with the rising cost of energy and raw materials had been discussed. The only possibility for steelmakers to maintain their competitive strength is to implement new technologies, and here the experience of I&S Works “Zaporizhstal” — replacement of coke by pulverized coal injection (PCI) is the most promising opportunity to reduce costs of iron production, was confirmed by all the participants in the course of meeting.

“The PCI Complexes are already in operation in steel industry of Ukraine, and in few variations,” — Stanislav Yaroshevsky, Professor of Donetsk National Technical University, said in his speech at the meeting. — "A better alternative, as I see it, have been chosen for erection of PCI Complec at “Zaporizhstal” Iron & Steel Integrated Works.

Implementation of pulverized coal injection technology at “Zaporizhstal” Works enabled the company to completely abandon the natural gas consumption in iron production process and to save coke considerably. For example, through the use of PCI in the Blast Furnace Shop of “Zaporizhstal” I&S Integrated Works in September 2012, record low coke consumption had been reached in the Shop — 378 kg / t of pig iron, before implementation of PCI technology coke consumption was 496 kg / t of pig iron.

“The technology of pulverized coal injection is widely used in the global metallurgical practice,” — said Rostislav Shurma, the General Director of JSC “Zaporizhstal.” — “I am confident that the positive experience of our Works in PCI-technology application will help to implement the best world practice into Ukrainian iron and steel industry countrywide, and to achieve the greater efficiency of production”.