Posted on 05 Apr 2016
Primetals Technologies has won an order from China's Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. (Baosteel) to modernize a more than 20-year old DC twin electric arc furnace at its Shanghai plant. The project involves redesigning both the upper and lower vessels and installing new anodes in each case. Improved power efficiency reduces production costs and raw materials can be used more flexibly. It will therefore be possible in future to operate the electric arc furnace with a hot metal content of up to 90 percent. Modernization work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2016.
The Baosteel Group is one of the largest iron and steel companies in the world. In 2014, the company’s annual steel production was more than 43 million metric tons. Baosteel manufactures high-quality products for the domestic and international markets. The twin electric arc furnace has a tapping weight of 150 metric tons and is part of a production line on which billets and long products are manufactured for use as structural steels.
Under the modernization project Primetals Technologies will be engineering, manufacturing and supplying essential components. The upper vessels with their water-cooled wall panels will be completely redesigned, and the lower sections will each be equipped with a new, air-cooled FIN anode. The guaranteed anode durability is more than 1,500 melts. Overall, electric power efficiency levels and thus productivity will improve. New burner systems will also be installed. In future, it will be possible to operate the twin electric arc furnace with a hot metal content of up to 90 percent. The hot metal will be charged in future not only into the open furnace, but also via the side wall. Primetals Technologies is likewise responsible for monitoring the installation and commissioning work.