Posted on 10 Jul 2017
Paul Wurth IHI Co., Ltd., the joint-venture entity of the Paul Wurth group serving mainly the Japanese market, reached an understanding with a leading international steel group for upgrading their existing dilute phase PCI plants in Japan. The key measure of these modernizations is the installation of Gritzko type coal flow control valves in the injection lines. This significant achievement is based on the excellent operation results reported from a recently commissioned Paul Wurth PCI plant. Paul Wurth IHI repeatedly received signs of great appreciation by the customer which ultimately decided to stay with our technology for the upcoming upgrades of existing PCI plants.
A first order for the supply of over 160 Gritzko valves for two blast furnaces has been awarded in March 2017. The orders for further customer’s blast furnaces will follow gradually until March 2018. All projects will be awarded on EPC basis and the scheduled completion for these projects encompassing around 700 Gritzko valves will be April 2019.
This significant achievement will help to further promote upgrades for existing PCI plants of both dense phase and dilute flow systems.
Pulverised coal injection (PCI) is the most modern technology of partial substitution of metallurgical coke in blast furnaces. It significantly helps to reduce the cost of ironmaking and the carbon footprint of the primary cycle of integrated steelmaking.
