Air-separation plant № 3 was put into operation at BMZ on May 28. This facility will meet the demand of BMZ for technical gases. Approx. 10 more per cent of its product will be used by other companies of Gomel region.

Joint venture 'BMZ-GKS’ was founded at BMZ with the partners from Austria (Belmet Handelsgesellschaft mbH), Germany (Belastahl Aussenhandel GmbH), Russia (OJSC “Iron Trade” and OJSC “Pskovvtorchermet”) in order to implement the project ‘Construction of air-separation plant № 3’.

Start-up of this facility (approx. 30 mln. Euro was spent to construct it) is of special importance for Byelorussian Steel Works. Its main goal is to secure raw materials for BMZ production. In particular, air-separation plant № 3 will fully meet the demand of BMZ for products of air-separation and help BMZ to exclude the import of liquid oxygen. Liquid and gaseous nitrogen and argon will also be produced there together with oxygen. The new air-separation plant (its capacity is to produce up to 10 000 nm3/hour of gaseous oxygen) will help the company to avoid purchasing this resource, which is especially important, taking into account that the capacity of the melting shops is increasing.

   The supplier of the main process-related equipment in this project became ‘Linde Dresden GmbH’. This company is one of the leaders in the world producing cryogenic equipment. For this company this is the third project with BMZ. They have already supplied the equipment for the construction of two gas-oxygen plants earlier, and they are running at BMZ. Technological solutions proposed for air-separation plant-3 comply with all modern requirements: the equipment is energy-efficient and of high capacity.

It should be noted that BMZ intention is to produce 3 mln. t. of steel/ year soon. In order to achieve this goal, in addition to the construction of air-separation plant, a number of investment projects have already been implemented: reconstruction of electric arc furnace №1, de-dusting plant №1, continuous caster №2, the new lime kiln was constructed (this facility will cover the deficit of lime).

Presently, the project ‘Increase of capacity of secondary metallurgy in melting shop-2’ is in progress. When it is completed, the disbalance between production capacity of arc furnaces and continuous casters in the melting shops will be eliminated.