Czech steelmaker Třinecké železárny is preparing investments exceeding € 42.3M in 2023 in, heating of torpedo cars, ladles, vacuum chambers etc. They will be aimed at improving product properties, ecology and increasing the recycling rate of metallurgical gases. “The operation of a steel producer is highly energy intensive. However, according to the principles of the circular economy, we use all metallurgical gases, blast furnace, converter and coke oven ones for reprocessing. The coke oven one will be now introduced at several heating stations in the production of iron and steel, where natural gas is still used,” highlights Mr. Radek Olszar, Investment Director. It concerns, for example, heating of torpedo cars, ladles, vacuum chambers etc.
Coke oven gas has diametrically different heating properties, and its introduction into operation will mean the construction of new distribution systems, a regulation, security and measurement systems, including burners and their automatic control. The cost of the investment will exceed €8.4M. The company is counting on savings for the purchase of natural gas in the future. The investment will be put into operation at the end of this year.
This year, the steelworks will put into operation a new milling line for the production of ribbed baseplates. The semi-automatic line will produce a higher-quality design of baseplates with higher precision in all operations. The greatest contribution of the project is the reduction of energy demand. The amount of the investment will exceed € 6.8M, part of the costs in the amount of € 1.4M will be covered by subsidies.
The disc stamping of rails in the total amount of € 1.8M, which will take place in April, will also be a new investment. The existing stationary stamps are at the end of their efficient lives, so they will be replaced by a modern disc stamp that is more reliable and accurate, it also enables variable rail marking.
In connection with the planned transformation of the company with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint, the company will start work on the Iron Ore Briquetting Line project with a total planned cost of € 40.2M. The line will enable production of the part of the charge for blast furnaces in a cold way eliminating CO₂ emissions.
This year's reconstruction of the cloth filter for sinter plant in the amount of € 1.3M will have an ecological benefit, thanks to which the dust removal performance will be increased and dust emissions from the outdoor transfer of material will be reduced.
