Russian steelmaker Severstal has begun a major overhaul of blast furnace No. 4 at its CherMK plant, investing RUB22 billion ($240 million) in the project. The furnace, which produces 2.4 million mt of pig iron annually and ranks as the plant's third most capacious facility, will undergo comprehensive modernization works to produce pig iron with an increased share of iron ore pellets and reduced consumption of solid fuel. The company expects to restart the blast furnace in the third quarter of 2025.
The overhaul includes replacing the bell-less loading device, furnace cooling system, and refractory masonry, along with repairs to the air heater block and casting yard. New aspiration exhaust systems will be installed to reduce emissions and improve workplace conditions through automated dust capture during pig iron release.
Severstal CEO Alexander Shevelev said the company will maintain customer delivery schedules by using existing steel slab inventory to offset production losses during the shutdown.