Finland-based steelmaker Ruukki has announced that it will replace the blast furnace oil injection system at its Raahe steel plant with a new pulverized coal injection (PCI) system to improve steelmaking cost efficiency by reducing raw material costs. The coal will replace more expensive injection oil and coke. Injection coal is the most commonly used additional reduction agent in blast furnaces to save coke.
The total investment will be around €65 million and will be spread over slightly more than two years. The new system will be brought into use during the second half of next year. Construction work associated with the project can take place while production is running. The new technology will have no impact on the workforce. Also, the environmental impacts will be minor, carbon dioxide emissions will decrease, whereas dust emissions will increase slightly and also electricity consumption will rise.
In addition, work is underway on replacing the converters in the steel plant at the Raahe plant. The project is worth about €22 million and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2015.
