Hot testing of a new turbine generator has begun at NLMK’s Lipetsk production site in Russia. The new equipment will replace the previous outdated generator and will enable the steelmaker to increase electricity generation by 11%, or over 370 million kWh. It will also reduce electricity expenses by 2.1%.
Once up and running the new generator will increase the Lipetsk site’s energy self-sufficiency from 52% to 58%. The installed capacity of the facility’s power station will increase by 50MW to 482MW.
NLMK, Russia’s leading manufacturer of steel and HVA rolled products, has invested approximately US$29.3 million in constructing the new turbine generator, which was manufactured at the Kaluga Turbine Works in Russia.
Alexander Starchenko, NLMK’s vice president for energy that the Russian steelmaker was not only reducing the company’s environmental impact, but also increasing its production efficiency in line with the company’s key Strategy 2017 objective.
NLMK has implemented a range of major investment projects aimed at improving energy efficiency during production and increasing the proportion of electricity produced from secondary resources. A new 150 MW-capacity recovery cogeneration plant has been constructed at the Lipetsk site, as well as cutting-edge air separation equipment providing 34,000 cubic metres of oxygen per hour. An air separation unit has also been launched at VIZ-Steel (Yekaterinburg), providing 8,000 cubic metres of nitrogen per hour.
The implementation of these and other projects has resulted in energy savings of US$24.9 million in 2013. Specific energy intensity over this period decreased by 1.2%, reaching 5.67 Gcal/t.