Bigger and better – expanded melting plant at Lianfeng Steel will produce 1.8 million tonnes a year

Lianfeng Steel Zhangjiagang in China’s Jiangsu Province is set to produce 1.8 million tonnes of special grade steel billets a year following the expansion of its Melting Plant 3, which was carried out with support from CISDI.

The new plant’s main units comprise of one basic oxygen furnace (170 tonnes), two Kambara Reactor desulphurisation stations, two dual ladle furnaces, one dual Ruhrstah-Heraeus vacuum degasser and two billet casters.

They serve the production of spring, tool, bearing, cord, cold-headed and automobile steels.

CISDI provided designs and a number of the supplies, including those for the BOF’s thermal system. It features a 400m³ spherical accumulator and an evaporative cooling system, which carried out the full cooking and cleaning of the boiler - an important step before commencing operation.

CISDI applied a three-dimensional engineering method which combined the tower building’s structural design with its fire control, water supply and drainage, electric and dust collection designs.

The 2D (plane) drawings were not drafted until all 3D schemes had been verified. This prevented any clashing of design results from different majors. It also created a faster construction schedule and smoothed the boiler’s cooling and cleaning processes.

The spherical accumulator is a star CISDI product. It is already performing strongly at Anshan Steel and Maanshan Steel in China.

Compared with similar products, this simpler and less costly system produces better quality steam and requires a smaller site area and less onward maintenance.

CISDI optimised its design deliverable timeframes to ensure all construction schedules were met.

The strong problem-solving and management skills of CISDI’s technical assistance engineers were praised by Lianfeng Steel Zhangjiagang and its partners.

The 170t BOF in operation at Lianfeng Steel

Challenges of a complicated regional pipeline were solved onsite

CISDI’s team onsite