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| New steel technologies can cut cost: Experts |
| BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar Jul 18, 2009, 00:06 IST |
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The adoption of the latest and environmentally sustainable technologies in steel making by the domestic steel firms for their upcoming greenfield projects can help cut greenhouse emissions, reduce operating costs and also curtail the consumption of raw materials like coal.
This observation was made by the international experts at the 13 th International Conference on Clean, Green and Sustainable technologies in Iron and Steel making.
W Grill, product manager (smelting reduction), Siemens VAI Metals Technologies, Austria said, “Corex and Finex are commercially proven smelting reduction processes that allow for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly production of hot metal directly from iron ore and non-coking coal.”
He pointed out that in the conventional blast furnace process of steel making, blended iron ore fines are agglomerated at a sinter plant and coking coal is processed at coke ovens which results in high raw material costs and considerable pollutant emissions.
The use of technologies like Corex and Finex can save 29.3 kg of coke per tonne of hot metal, claimed Grill.
While JSW Steel in India and ArcelorMittal in South Africa have made use of the Corex technology, Posco has used the Finex technology in its 1.5 million tonne plant in Korea.
Andre Fulgencio, marketing manager (agglomeration technology) of Siemens VAI Metals, Austria said, “The use of high quality sinter is decisive for assuring high and stable blast furnace productivity. The sinter pant can no longer be seen as a separate or standalone production unit, it needs to be fully integrated with the blast furnace to generate the ideal burden for optimized production and cost efficiency.”
A number or recent developments in the field of iron-ore sintering by Siemens VAI Metals has substantially contributed to increased productivity, improved product quality, reduced energy consumption and lower operational costs, he added.
According to Peter Burke the Hismelt technology specialist at Rio Tinto, the Hismelt technology in steel making can lead to lower capitals cost, reduced operating cost as well reduction in greenhouse emissions.
The fist commercial Hismelt plant is located at Kwinana in Western Australia in which Rio Tinto holds 60 per cent stake.
At the core of the Hismlet is the smelt reduction vessel which consists of water cooled shell and a refractory hearth. The process uses high velocity injection of coal and ore into the melt via downwardly cooled injection lances.
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