Russia-based leading steel producer Metalloinvest has announced that it has launched the upgraded blast furnace N° 2 at its subsidiary Ural Steel. The investment in the project amounted to RUB 2.5 billion ($33.5 million).

The upgraded blast furnace has a capacity of 760,000 tonne of pig iron per year.

The blast furnace N° 2 has the ability to operate at a charge using the content of up to 95% iron ore pellets, which is higher, compared to a traditional blast furnace.

“We have completed the technical re-equipping of blast furnace N° 2 next in line is blast furnace N° 3. All together they will produce about 2 million mt of pig iron annually while reducing coke consumption and reducing costs,” said Ildar Iskakov, managing director of Ural Steel.

Metalloinvest large-scale investment project is being implemented, as part of Ural Steel’s strategic integrated product development program. Its measures will improve the enterprise’s efficiency and reduce its carbon emissions.

The company plans to begin the econstruction of blast furnace N° 3 in February 2021.