Metinvest Completes Largest Environmental Project in Ukraine's History
Metinvest Group has completed the largest environmental project in the history of independent Ukraine, the reconstruction of gas treatment facilities at the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works (Ilyich Steel), worth more than US$160 million
Chimneys no longer emitting smoke
The large-scale environmental project of the sinter plant modernisation, which lasted more than seven years, is now completed.
Until recently, the sinter plant accounted for 80% of Ilyich Steel's emissions and up to 40% of Mariupol's dust emissions. Today, none of the sinter plant's chimneys are emitting smoke. And the level of emissions has been brought up to European standards.
After the phased commissioning of all new filters, dust emissions will be reduced by 90% and sulphur emissions by 46%. On the whole, as a result of the reconstruction project, dust emissions in Mariupol will be reduced by one third.
The main supplier of equipment and technologies was Termokimik Corporation (Italy). Metinvest Engineering was the general contractor for the project.
Until recently, the sinter plant accounted for 80% of Ilyich Steel's emissions and up to 40% of Mariupol's dust emissions. Today, none of the sinter plant's chimneys are emitting smoke. And the level of emissions has been brought up to European standards.
After the phased commissioning of all new filters, dust emissions will be reduced by 90% and sulphur emissions by 46%. On the whole, as a result of the reconstruction project, dust emissions in Mariupol will be reduced by one third.
The main supplier of equipment and technologies was Termokimik Corporation (Italy). Metinvest Engineering was the general contractor for the project.
Ilyich Steel's sinter plant is the largest in Europe. The sinter plant completes the preparation of iron ore raw materials for iron production, producing sinter, the fine ore sintered into porous lumps. The sintering area, which defines the size of the plant, is more than 1,000m2. The plant has a maximum output of more than 13 million tonnes of sinter per year.
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With this project we have proven once again that we can keep our word. In recent years, we have faced many challenges, but we continued to upgrade the sinter plant's equipment step by step, investing a lot in it, because we knew how important it was for the people of Mariupol. Neither the crisis nor the pandemic prevented us from carrying out the reconstruction project within the promised timeframe. I am grateful to everyone who has been working on this modernisation project, which is truly historic, for all of these years. The sinter plant at Ilyich Iron & Steel Works is now not only the largest in Europe, but also the most environmentally friendly and modern.
Yuriy Ryzhenkov
CEO of Metinvest Group
How the cleaning system works
The technical solution implemented as part of the project involves a complex, two-stage gas cleaning system
The first stage
A coarse dust scrubbing system using modern Hurriclone cyclones. They capture coarse dust particles for reuse in production
The second stage
The gas cleaning of dust and sulphur compounds in powerful bag filters, which reduce dust emissions more than ten-fold
Working in stages, Metinvest Engineering's specialists built a complex for the two-stage cleaning of sintering and cooling zones for all 12 sintering machines.
A modern gas cleaning system is already in operation at the sinter plant. At the same time, work is continuing on the cooling zone of sinter shop no. 1 to upgrade the Speick electrostatic precipitators and to install two bag filters, and this will be completed in 2021. These are additional commitments made by the mill.
A modern gas cleaning system is already in operation at the sinter plant. At the same time, work is continuing on the cooling zone of sinter shop no. 1 to upgrade the Speick electrostatic precipitators and to install two bag filters, and this will be completed in 2021. These are additional commitments made by the mill.
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We are completing a project spanning more than seven years, one of the most important in the modern history of the plant. The sinter plant was really in dire need of modernisation and Metinvest Group made a timely decision. Reducing the environmental burden is one of priority tasks set by Metinvest. But the most important thing is that such challenging tasks are always backed up with finance and expertise. Today the chimneys of the sinter plant are no longer emitting fumes. Our next target is the blast furnace process, and we will definitely achieve this goal as well.
Taras Shevchenko
General Manager of Ilyich Steel
Italians and the coronavirus
The history of the sinter plant reconstruction, like that of Ukraine, is marked by various events and unexpected developments.
The coronavirus pandemic hit the world just as the project was about to reach the finish line. During commissioning, Termokimik Corporation specialists had to install the software as well as perform the cold and hot cranking of the aspiration system equipment. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled all foreign experts working in Ukraine, and in early spring, the Italians were forced to leave the country precipitously. The Italian government also declared a strict quarantine and closed the offices of industrial companies, including Termokimik.
By mid-summer, the pandemic subsided somewhat and the relaxed quarantine rules allowed for the completion of the modernisation of the sinter plant. The Italian specialists returned to Ukraine to finish testing the equipment and complete the project within the deadline promised to the residents of Mariupol.
The coronavirus pandemic hit the world just as the project was about to reach the finish line. During commissioning, Termokimik Corporation specialists had to install the software as well as perform the cold and hot cranking of the aspiration system equipment. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled all foreign experts working in Ukraine, and in early spring, the Italians were forced to leave the country precipitously. The Italian government also declared a strict quarantine and closed the offices of industrial companies, including Termokimik.
By mid-summer, the pandemic subsided somewhat and the relaxed quarantine rules allowed for the completion of the modernisation of the sinter plant. The Italian specialists returned to Ukraine to finish testing the equipment and complete the project within the deadline promised to the residents of Mariupol.
Upgrading history
The major construction project at Ilyich Steel lasted for five and a half years. Throughout, Ukrainians and Italians worked on the modernisation of equipment at the plant. The installation of cyclones and bag filters, equipment weighing hundreds of tonnes, was carried out in record time. Such large-scale gas-cleaning systems at sinter plants are not built anymore in the world today. All of this was done to ensure that none of the sinter plant's five smokestacks would continue to darken the skies above Mariupol.
July 2012
July 2012
Metinvest decides to carry out the environmental upgrade of Ilyich Steel's sinter plant
August-December 2012
August-December 2012
A technological study is performed and technological solutions developed for the implementation of the project
December 2013
December 2013
Metinvest signs agreement with Termokimik Corporation, the Italian technology and equipment supplier, to develop the basic engineering plan for the modernisation of the sinter plant
December 2013-May 2015
December 2013-May 2015
The project documentation for the sinter plant reconstruction is completed
August 2014
August 2014
Metinvest signs an agreement with Termokimik Corporation for detailed engineering plans and the supply of gas cleaning equipment for the sinter plant
May 2015
May 2015
Construction work launches at Ilyich Steel's sinter plant
May-December 2015
May-December 2015
Hurriclone high-efficiency cyclones installed in the sintering area of sinter plants nos. 1-3
July-December 2016
July-December 2016
Hurriclone cyclones installed in sintering machines nos. 4 and 5 in the sintering zone
May-December 2017
May-December 2017
New cyclones installed in sintering machines nos. 6-8 in the sintering area and in sintering machines nos. 7-9 in the cooling area
March-December 2018
March-December 2018
Sinter cleaning systems for sintering machines nos. 7-9 in the sintering and cooling zones commissioned. Hurriclone cyclones installed in sintering machines nos. 9-11 in the sintering area and in sintering machines nos. 10-12 in the cooling area
February-March 2019
February-March 2019
New cyclones installed in sintering machine no. 12 in the sintering zone
January 2019-November 2020
January 2019-November 2020
Sulphur filters installed in sintering machines nos. 1-6 and nos. 10-12 in the sintering and cooling zones
November 2020
November 2020
Two-stage gas cleaning system at the sinter plant enters into operation.
