OREANDA-NEWS. The launch of Coke Oven Battery #6 (CB-6) has taken place at Ural Steel (part of Metalloinvest). The installation of CB-6 is part of Metalloinvest's investment programme to modernise production at Ural Steel.

The introduction of the production unit will enable the plant to produce approximately 690,000 tonnes of high-quality coke annually. This will meet the needs of its blast furnace to increase pig iron production and will eliminate the need to purchase coke from third-party producers. The steam by-product of the production process of up to 50 tonnes per hour will be used for the plant's production needs.

The battery unit is fitted with modern equipment and all processes are computer-controlled. Modern environmentally-friendly technological solutions were used in the design of the unit; these include dust-free coke production, coke production waste recycling units and other methods to minimise the unit's environmental footprint.

Andrey Varichev, CEO of Management Company Metalloinvest, commented: "Today we launched Coke Oven Battery #6. This is an important stage of our investment programme at Ural Steel. The Company's management sees the future of Ural Steel in developing production for more in-demand products, in particular, blast furnace, electric arc furnace and plate rolling production. This year alone, Metalloinvest is spending 5.5 billion roubles on production modernisation and maintenance at Ural Steel."

As part of the Company's investment programme and to increase pig iron production capacity, Blast Furnace #4 is undergoing reconstruction, which will be completed in one year. Major modernisation and reconstruction works are also planned for Blast Furnace #3. The Company is considering upgrading the production capacity of its first bloom caster to 500 thousand tonnes in the electric arc furnace workshop and is planning to renovate the second caster and increase its production capacity to 1 million tonnes of steel. In addition, Metalloinvest plans to build a fifth pig casting plant and modernise Continuous Casting Machine #1 for production of rail products. Key activities at the rolling mill include the modernisation of Roller Treatment Furnace #1 and the heat-treatment machine.

Ivan Streshinsky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Management Company Metalloinvest, said: "The launch of the coke oven battery is a momentous event. The implementation of progressive technologies has always been and remains a priority for us. It allows Metalloinvest to produce competitive high-added value products and maintain its leading position in the market. The Board of Directors is pleased with the results of the optimisation programme at Ural Steel. The plant has entered into profit for the first time in a number of years and this gives us confidence that the plant's further development plans will be successfully implemented."

Yury Berg, Governor of the Orenburg region, noted that Ural Steel continues to set an example in its responsible approach to business. He added that this was not the first time that the plant had found a way to grow the business and keep its staff in challenging economic conditions.