NLMK Lipetsk cuts H2S emissions

16 October 2020

NLMK Lipetsk, an NLMK Group company has launched an anhydrous cooling system for blast furnace slag as part of its environmental upgrade programme. This will enable it to reduce hydrogen sulfide emissions in the corresponding area by 3.5x and keep the smell from this chemical compound to a minimum.

The implementation of the complex marks NLMK Lipetsk’s Blast Furnace Shop No. 1 (three blast furnaces) full transition to dry slag cooling technology. The complex was built in place of a slag dump that had been accumulating since the 1970s. Close to 6 million tonnes of various materials were processed and more than 300,000 tonnes of iron were fed back into in steel production in the course of the project.

Previously, water was used for blast furnace slag cooling. When hot slag reacts with water, hydrogen sulfide, a chemical compound with a specific smell, is released. The smell can appear even when the concentration of the substance is below the set standard. The new system completely eliminates the need to use water. Advanced excavators will be used for slag handling and loading, capable of working in high temperatures and with increased productivity. Investment in the project exceeded RUB 2 billion.

Vyacheslav Vorotnikov, NLMK Lipetsk Managing Director, said: “We continue to work on reducing our environmental footprint with a focus on the areas that are most relevant to the residents of Lipetsk. The new complex will reduce emissions and minimize the smell of hydrogen sulfide on the production site and in the surrounding city area.”

The average monthly H2S concentration at the border of the NLMK Lipetsk sanitary protection zone is significantly lower than the standard, totaling close to 30-40% of the maximum permissible concentration* (the level of safe concentration of the substance that does not harm people and the environment).

* According to the measurements taken by the Center for Laboratory Analysis and Technical Measurements in the Central Federal District (Independent Federal Laboratory) for the period from 01.11.19 to 30.09.20.

About NLMK Group

NLMK Group is the largest steelmaker in Russia and one of the most efficient in the world.

NLMK Group’s steel products are used in various industries, from construction and machine building to the manufacturing of power-generation equipment and offshore wind turbines.

NLMK operates production facilities in Russia, Europe and the United States. The Company’s steel production capacity exceeds 17 million tonnes per year.

NLMK has a highly competitive competitive cash cost among global manufacturers and one of the highest profitability levels in the industry. In 12M 2019, the Company generated $10.6 bn in revenue and $2.6 bn in EBITDA. The Company has investment grade credit ratings from S&P, Moody’s, Fitch, and RAEX (Expert RA). 

NLMK’s ordinary shares with a 18.6% free-float are traded on the Moscow Stock Exchange (ticker "NLMK") and its global depositary shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange (ticker "NLMK:LI"). The share capital of the Company is divided into 5,993,227,240 shares with a par value of RUB1.

 

Source: nlmk.com