NLMK completes installing equipment at new power plant

NLMK has completed installation of the main equipment for a new 150MW Heat and Power Plant – one of the key facilities forming Stage II of its Technical Upgrade Program. This project will increase its power generation capacity by 45% from 332 MW to 482 MW. This will improve the Lipetsk site’s self-sufficiency in electric power from the current 44% to 55% in the second half of 2011 when the new blast furnace No.7 is commissioned.

Construction of the plant is taking place in parallel with that of the new furnace. The new Heat and Power Plant will use blast-furnace gas – a by-product of the main metallurgical process – for the generation of electric power. Recycling 360 000 m3/hour of blast-furnace gas will also reduce the plant’s environmental impact and provide an additional 115 Gcal of heat energy as hot water and 120 t/h of steam for NLMK needs.

Currently, the installation of turbine generators, buildings, constructions and pipelines of the main and auxiliary process equipment is completed and commissioning is underway. Hot tests are scheduled for Q2 2011.

For reference:
The new Heat and Power Plant is a state-of-the-art technological complex comprising three 50MW turbine generators, three steam-generation boilers, a water preparation unit, water cooling towers, etc. The Plant will be equipped with comprehensive automation and telecontrol systems. Energy saving technologies and the most advanced equipment will reduce specific fuel consumption for power generation by 26% compared to the existing power plant. The startup of the new plant will create 137 new jobs.