ArcelorMittal Galati continues energy efficiency investment programme

ArcelorMittal Galati has invested more than €7m to upgrade a set of turbine blowers, aimed at reducing energy consumption at blast furnace no. 5. The turbine blowers inject cold air into the blast furnaces, and are key to the technological flow of the unit. Following the investment, the company has cut steam consumption by half. “We have an extended programme of increasing the energy efficiency of our company, and this new investment is part of it, allowing us to make immediate and long term savings in energy consumption”, said Bruno Ribo, chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal Galati. “Our focus is to increase the performance of our operations, so we can adapt to the demands of our clients and, also, to the realities of the market. We will continue to invest for the implementation of modern technologies that support the better and more productive use of our production processes”. Following the investment, the two turbine blowers are more efficient, more flexible in the way they can be deployed, and more reliable. The set of turbine blowers use only 32 – 40 tonnes of steam per hour, compared with 70 tonnes before the modernization. With the steam saved, the company is now able to generate electricity that can be used in the steel production process. A high level of automation has also been implemented, improving the efficiency of the operation. ArcelorMittal Galati started the operation of the two turbine blowers after a redesign of the rotors and the diaphragms of the two compressors and turbines, the maintenance of all technological control, balance and command circuits. The new system is based on a state-of-the-art operating system that allows for the two units to be handled, monitored and controlled automatically. The investment is part of ArcelorMittal Europe’s ‘Energize’ Project aims at reducing energy consumption by 15% over the next five years. The action plan under this project covers a wide range of areas, from energy-intensive equipments and processes to office activities and involves all parts of the business, from operations, to maintenance, investment and purchasing. Over the past 10 years, ArcelorMittal Galati invested almost €800m in upgrading its technology, modernizing the production facilities and replacing obsolete equipment. This resulted in efficiencies throughout the production chain.