In February 21, 2014 two important facilities of modernization program were put into operation at BMZ: a new lime kiln  plant-3 (LKP-3) and an updated continuous billet casting machine – 2. General  costs of two projects  are 53 million Euro. Its realization allowed to create 96 new working places at BMZ.

The main aim of performed modernization of CCM-2 is  the increase of output of billet up to  1 200 000 tons per year and the volume  growth of products (mill150, 320 and the new rolling mill) with added value cost.

The complete replacement of existing  machine will increase steel casting speed from 3,1 м/min up to 4,3м/min, it will allow to change promptly the product range (from billets size 125x125mm to billets size 140x140 mm) with casting radius from  5 to 8 meters.

It should be mentioned that  during the modernization of  CCM-2 the most modern automation system  was set up,  the supplier of  the equipment is the company “Siemens”.

Engineered quality module of this system estimates automatically billet quality during melting in real time and issues technological recommendations . Thus, during the modernization a new modern casting machine was constructed that can melt steel according to advanced technologies and with new possibilities.

One more peculiarity of new CCM-2 is the availability of electromagnetic stirrer. The technology of  electromagnetic  stirring in a mold allowed to improve production quality due to increase of steel homogeneity, reduction of cracks and of  nonmetallic  inclusions.

The project costs are about 27 million Euro, its realization supposed assembly of more than 1 400 tons of metal constructions.

The second important  facility is a lime kiln  plant-3 (LKP-3). This plant will provide steel-making production with raw materials base, also it will allow to eliminate lime shortage.

For sure this facility can be called a mini-plant of lime production, it consists of 19 units: an airblower building, a limestone storage area, various pick-and-place centers, cable bridges etc. A new facility is more powerful  and more dimensional than the existing similar facilities.  The height of  airblower building  is 14 meters, the upper point reaches 52 meters. The innovation of the facility is a wagon dumper in a lime storage area. The principle of its operation is following: a rail wagon goes to overpass and the wagon dumper turns it over in few minutes emptying contents in a special bunker.  Due to this fact  the time saving is obtained during unloading.

New facility the construction of which started  in 2012, will produce up to 400 tons of lime  per day, it will allow not only to provide the existing production with lime , but also make possible to plan  further development of steel-making capacities. It will also allow to reduce production costs due to elimination of purchasing of import lime substitute and to increase steel quality.

The manufacturing planner of lime burning and producer of main technological equipment of LKP is the Swiss company «Merz», the Russian firm “IZVESTA” supplied conveying systems, the plant “LEGMASH” of holding “BMK” (Orsha, Belarus) manufactured the metal constructions.

General volume of investments for this project is 26 million Euro.