Nine decades after the first blast furnaces began operating in Zaporizhzhia, the fire here never goes out. It lives on in the hearts of the people who come to work every day.
The shift of Zaporizhstal's ironmakers has been going on for 92 years, and during this time, the plant's blast furnaces have witnessed many important events. During the full-scale invasion, for the second time in the history of the plant, the ironmakers had to shut down the furnaces, and in just 33 days, they resumed operation. Today, metallurgists are working in equally difficult conditions.
"Typical problems today include a shortage of raw materials, when we have to work on a just-in-time basis, interruptions and instability in the country's energy sector, hostile shelling, and a shortage of personnel. It is extremely difficult to work in such conditions, because our efficiency depends on the consistency and stability of the technological process. Of course, all these difficulties affect people's moral order. But we have a strong team, and we are not easily frightened. We stand, look for new approaches in our daily work, and adapt to reality. And I am proud of everyone who comes to work, despite everything," says the head of the shop Serhii SAFONOV.
FIGURE
Over 260 million tonnes of hot metal have been produced by blast furnaces in 92 years of operation
We saw with our own eyes how the conquerors of the fiery element work: on the eve of the shop's birthday, we visited the casting yard of the fourth blast furnace. At that very moment, the blast furnace operators were opening another tap hole – a fascinating sight that has become routine for the blast furnace operators themselves, but has not lost its magic and beauty. For example, for senior blast furnace operator Oleksii Minakov, who has been working here for 21 years.
He followed in the footsteps of his father, who worked at the neighbouring Dniprospetssteel plant. At first, he thought he would not stay here for long, but eventually he became fascinated by the profession. Over the years, Oleksii has worked on all the blast furnaces – on the first one, which was replaced in 2011 by a pulverized coal injection unit, the second, third and fourth furnace. He knows how the modernisation, in which the plant has invested more than 5 billion hryvnias since 2012, has improved the operation of these units. He remembers his shifts at the fifth blast furnace, which had to be shut down during the full-scale war and is awaiting modernisation.
"Each furnace has its own peculiarities. Some furnace has faster hydraulics, some furnace - slower one. Taphole drills and blast-furnace guns operate differently; some require more clay, some less. These are minor details, but they affect the result. Each blast furnace has its own character, which you must get used to," explains Oleksii.
He is convinced that a true metallurgist is a conscious, resilient, responsible person who understands the importance of their work.
"Working in the casting yard, we don't just perform routine production operations, we have to think, anticipate and predict. We must monitor the production process, our own actions and those of our colleagues so as not to harm each other. We must keep in touch with the shift before and after our team, discussing successes and failures. In fact, this job is not for everyone. You must love it and wholeheartedly root for the common result," adds Oleksii MINAKOV.
Hundreds of highly skilled specialists work in the blast furnace shop, for whom precision and coordination are the basis of their daily work. Another characteristic feature of this team has always been its unity. And in recent years, it has become even stronger. Here, everyone is ready to support their colleagues, both during shifts and outside of work.
"Our employees are real steel people who you can rely on and be sure that they will do everything right and won't let you down. They work with full dedication every day," says Serhii Safonov. "But many of our colleagues are now defending Ukraine on the front line. Many of our guys have been mobilised, we are in constant contact with them, helping their families, waiting for them to return to work. It is important to know that you are not alone, that you have a team behind you that will always support you.”
The ironmakers' greatest dream is that everyone will celebrate the shop's next 93rd birthday under peaceful skies.
"I sincerely thank the entire team for their hard work and dedication! On the eve of the shop's and Zaporizhstal's birthday, I wish everyone harmony and prosperity, good health – both physical and mental. And most importantly, peace, which we not only dream of, but are bringing closer with our daily work," said Serhii Safonov.
