Pellet shop #2 at Northern Iron Ore has completed a repair of its LURGI 552A induration machine. Metinvest allocated UAH 17 million to repair the induration machine and to upgrade the screen.

At Northern Iron Ore, pellet shop No.2 resumed operation of its 552A induration machine at the beginning of October after completing its quarterly repair. A key milestone in the major repair was the upgrade of a double-deck screen for green pellets.

"The main achievement of the completed upgrade is the enhanced performance of the induration machine," says Andrii STEBLII, deputy shop manager for production and planning at Northern Iron Ore. "Currently, the machine produces 463 tonnes of pellets per hour compared to the previous output of 460 tonnes. Another significant outcome of the upgrade is the reduced specific consumption of gas and electricity. Additionally, there has been an improvement in the quality properties of the finished product. Overall, we anticipate an annual benefit of up to UAH 10 million from this."

During the repair, specialists also performed standard works, including relining the induration machine furnace and repairing steel structures. Conveyor belts were replaced in the balling, induration and screening areas. Process fans were repaired, and conveyors, along with the main and auxiliary units and mechanisms of the LURGI 552A process line, underwent maintenance.

Currently, the products made by the machine are shipped to European customers and steelmakers such as Zaporizhstal and Kamet Steel.

As a reminder, last summer, Northern Iron Ore's Pellet Shop No. 2 equipped its LURGI 552B and later the LURGI 552A with green pellet screens, allowing a shift towards European market requirements and enabling additional resource savings. At the same time, specialists upgraded the automatic process control system.