The Chinese steel manufacturer Taiyuan Iron & Steel (Group) Co. Ltd. (TISCO) has contracted SMS Siemag, Germany, for the planning and supply of an X-Melt CONARC furnace unit with energy recovery system for a new long product mill in Taiyuan, North China. The energy recovery system increases the steelworks' energy
efficiency and especially contributes to reducing CO2 emissions and energy costs. The scope of supply for the 80-t CONARC with two furnace shells comprises engineering, manufacturing of core components as well as supervision of erection and commissioning. The entire CONARC plant will be equipped with an X-Pact electrical and automation system (including level 2). Furthermore, SMS Siemag will supply the electrode arms, the SIS (SMS Siemag Injection System) burner and injector systems as well as the engineering and core components for the oxygen blowing top lance.
Thanks to the energy recovery system, CO2 emissions can be reduced by approx. 25,000 t per year. At a temperature of approx. 1,250 °C, the waste gas from the CONARC is led through a boiler system that on the one hand provides for the required cooling of the gas and on the other hand uses a major portion of the thermal energy for the generation of steam which can be put to further use in the steelworks. In the two boiler units, up to 60 t of steam can be generated per hour. The CONARC furnace unit is part of a complete special steelworks project for which TISCO contracted SMS. In the scope of this project, SMS Concast will additionally supply two twin-ladle furnaces and a three-strand jumbo continuous caster for round blooms with a diameter of between 390 and 800 mm. The continuous caster complies with the latest state of the art and is equipped with electromagnetic mold, strand and final stirrers, strand heating and dynamic soft reduction systems. It will put TISCO in the position to produceround blooms in top quality. Amongst others, these blooms will be used for the production of wheels for high-speed trains. In addition to high quality, the new investment will allow TISCO to achieve significantly improved material utilization and reduced transformation costs compared to the old plant. Commissioning of the plants is scheduled for March 2014.