The challenge facing Třinecké železárny over the next year is about to put huge investment into modernisation

Steel maker Třinecké železárny plans to invest more than three billion Czech crowns in modernisation and equipment renewal this year, with almost one third of the amount being earmarked for the environmental projects. It is the most significant financial expense for the last ten years. In Třinec it refers to super renewal year when major transformation will pass through the heart of mills – blooming mill. Minor changes are also awaiting for the steel and iron production plant, company builds new facilities to increase the added value and the production quality during the finalization processes.

" All investments are linked with automation systems. Modern equipment are able to operate in a fully automatized regime."The share of products with higher utility properties will increase at the expense of ordinary quality, which is our long-term strategy, says Mr. Jan Czudek, the CEO of Třinecké železárny. It concerns primarily the grinding billets which ensures top quality wire rod and bars for the customers or e.g. annealing which improves the technological and material quality of our products.

 

Blooming Mill

 

The blooming mill, which steelmakers call the heart of all rolling mills, will undergo a fundamental transformation. Annually it processes up to 600 kilo tonnes of hardest steel profiles such as large blooms and slabs, inputs for the reversing mill of billets part or rails. Aged rolling mill needs a complete replacement together with the highly-sophisticated construction part.

"Under the technology itself we are going to build the foundations including the giant baseplate which absorbs up to 850 cubic metres of the surface exceeding over 480 square metres, the whole foundations consume 2,300 cubic metres. The excavation under the one part of the facility will reach a depth up to nine metres. The core technology of the rolling mill is already in production. The German company will deliver the semi-automatic line with manual or fully automatic mode. It is a modern rolling mill stand and hydraulic scissors, which is dominated by the latest technology, "specifies Mr. Radek Olszar, The Director of Investment and Strategy. The accuracy of production will then increase what will have an impact on further treatment. The total cost of the investment will reach CZK 700 million.

 

Continuous Casting Facility

 

"We will begin with the implementation of this project during the year with the aim to place on the market steel rounded blooms with a cross section of 600 mm. We have managed to produce the diameter 525 mm on continuous caster so far. After the modification of this facility we can enter new markets, where the customers require this kind of steel products, "added Mr. Radek Olszar.

The large diameters are currently requested in the field of wind energy as well as for the construction of more powerful wind turbines. They are also used in gearboxes and bearings in heavy machinery or they are intended for the production of pipeline flanges in the petrochemical industry and, other fields. This investment project with the amount of CZK 125 million will be spread into two following years.

 

Another projects and environment

 

Another project of major importance is the completion and launching of new cleaning billet mill for CZK 600 million, renewal of the billet mill stand for CZK 225 million, purchase of a new drilling-sawing machine for mills worth CZK 57 million, and the construction of annealing furnaces for CZK 175 million.

Several environmental projects already prepared worth CZK 940 million are to include desulphurisation of Sinter plant No. 1. "This investment will complete the environmental sinter plant process. Its goal is to decrease sulphur dioxide emissions from the sintering bands combustion by dosing additives and water into the fabric filters reactor which will subsequently separate sulphur dioxides, "specifies Mr. Radek Olszar. Sinter plant No. 2 has been desulphurised in 2016. We have implemented the active carbon dosage of both sintering plants this year, which ensures capture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and, other substances.

The steelmakers expect to produce less steel this year due to longer shutdowns than usual. While last year we produced 2.6 million tonnes of steel, this year we plan an output of 2.48 million tonnes of steel. Accordingly, large investments are being prepared for the year 2021 while one of the two blast furnaces will be repaired.

Petra Jurásková
Press Secretary of the Třinecké železárny - Moravia Steel Group
phone: +420 558 535 841
mobile: +420 602 265 738
e-mail: Petra.Juraskova@trz.cz