One of Russia’s leading metal and mining companies, Mechel OAO (MTL) commissioned its integrated steel processing facility (ladle furnace) at the oxygen-converter shop of its Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant OAO subsidiary. Investments for the construction and commissioning of the ladle furnace amounted to 1.05 billion rubles ($35.9 million).

Mechel stated that the launch of the ladle furnace is another step to shutting down the highly expensive technology of rolling production which includes ingot casting and blooming processing. After the launch, the share of steel billets produced by the continuous casting technology at the plant will rise up to 50%. As a result, the performance of the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant operations will increase considerably.

The commissioned ladle furnace will process about 1.2 million tons of steel per year. Increase in steel processing would enable to raise continuous caster efficiency at the continuous casting machine in the oxygen-converter shop up to 120,000 tons per year.

The ladle furnace is implemented within the second part of the continuous casting machine complex project, which is one of the major investment projects of the first stage of the plant’s technical re-equipment program. It is aimed to increase production efficiency at Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant by reducing steel, ferroalloy and power consumption per ton of casting and significant improve in quality of the final output – rolled products and hardware.
 
The steel processing complex is equipped with an effective gas purifier. It has the maximum filtration level and can work at high temperature ranges during the steel processing. It also provides continuous cycle of purification due to the system of filter regeneration.
 
Mechel is one of the leading Russian companies. Its business includes four segments: mining, steel, ferroalloy, and power. The company unites producers of coal, iron ore concentrate, nickel, steel, rolled products, ferroalloys, hardware, heat and electric power. Mechel products are marketed both domestically and internationally.

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