Erdos Junzheng Energy & Chemical Industry Co Ltd has awarded SMS Siemag, Germany a contract for the supply of four submerged arc furnaces for the production of calcium carbide.

The furnaces with a power rating of 46.5 MW each are currently the biggest ones of this type in China. They will produce around 500,000 tonnes per year of high quality calcium carbide for the local market. Commissioning of the furnaces is scheduled for 2012. They will be located in Wuhai in Inner Mongolia.

In addition to the basic and detail engineering for the whole furnace plant, SMS Siemag scope includes the supply of the electrode strings, high current lines hydraulic systems and the automation system.

The calcium carbide produced is converted into acetylene in a newly erected works complex. Acetylene is an important prime material for the plastics and foam rubber industry. In the process of producing acetylene from calcium carbide, crude oil will be substituted by locally occurring raw materials. Inner Mongolia has vast coal and limestone deposits which are suitable for the production of carbide.

Accounting for more than 90 % China is currently the world largest producer of calcium carbide. In China a large proportion of the calcium carbide is produced in small units. It can be expected that in the mid term the smaller furnaces will be replaced by larger submerged arc furnaces for reasons of environmental protection.