Novolipetsk Steel has announced that it will lower specific steel production energy intensity by 9% to 5.75 Gcal per tonne within three years to reach the best performance of similar EU steel companies.

The released said the decrease in specific energy intensity between 2010 and 2012 will be accomplished by increasing in house energy generation with the full use of secondary fuel gases, the introduction of advanced equipment with low specific energy consumption in BOF and rolling operations, the use of secondary heat from sinter and BF operations as well as a decrease in the loss of energy resources during their transportation.

NLMK continues to improve and enhance its energy resources accounting system. The “Energo” information and measuring system, commissioned in 2005 is able to automatically form utilities production and consumption balances. This year the automated accounting system was introduced at NLMK coke operations.

For the last 10 years specific energy intensity at the main production site in Lipetsk declined by almost 13%, or from 7.2 Gcal per tonne to 6.3 Gcal per tonne. This energy efficiency was possible due to the implementation of the Technical Upgrade Program where new energy saving technologies was introduced, lines with low energy consumption were built and in house energy generation facilities were expanded. Currently energy self sufficiency of the Lipetsk site stands at 44%.