DMZ coke-chemical production works with three coke batteries with a load of 50-55%

Some of the furnaces are stopped due to unusability after blackouts in 2022. Currently, the units are being repaired

The coke-chemical production (CCP) of the Dnipro Metallurgical Plant (DMZ) operates with three coke batteries at 50-55% of their capacity. This is reported in the corporate DCH Steel newspaper.

Currently, the plant is implementing an investment project to repair the masonry of the heating walls of coke ovens. Work is being carried out on coke batteries №1, 4 and 5.

To restore the masonry, a special ceramic mixture is used, which in terms of its chemical parameters is identical to refractories. Repair with ceramic surfacing allows you to increase the resistance of masonry to thermal shocks, avoid cracks and seal seams. With standard operation of coke batteries, this material protects masonry for three years.

«This method is the most effective repair of masonry of heating walls of coke ovens. We have been actively applying this technology since 2020,» commented the director of coke chemical production Oleksiy Horbula.

In 2020-2021, three working batteries were repaired by the ceramic surfacing method at the DMZ. But the condition of the furnace fund was negatively affected by problems with energy supply in 2022.

«Together with the country, we experienced three blackouts. The most difficult situation occurred in December: even after the end of the blackout, we could not resume production because there was no coke gas to heat the furnaces. For several days, workers tried to switch the heating system to natural gas. The batteries were cooling for 9 days and it seemed that it would be impossible to start them,» he added.

The CCP was able to be restarted, but the cooling period was approaching and part of the furnaces had to be taken out of service due to masonry defects.

«Current repairs will solve this problem: the damaged areas will be restored and the capacities, which are currently stopped, will be able to be used again in the production process. Working furnaces will also be protected by melting, which will increase their efficiency and reduce the impact on the environment,» sums up the director of the CCP.

The planned amount of work is planned to be completed by the end of August 2023.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in June 2023, DMZ produced 33.3 thousand tons of coke, which is 2.5% less compared to May, and 29.1% more y/y. In January-June 2023, the plant increased coke production by 21.5% y/y – up to 142 thousand tons.

Coke chemical division of the enterprise in 2022 passed exclusively on domestic coal raw materials and manufactures products mainly for ferroalloy plants of Ukraine. In addition, in March 2023, the enterprise resumed the production of metallurgical coke.

Dnipro Metallurgical Plant is a full-cycle steel enterprise that is part of the DCH group. It produces semi-finished products and shaped rolled steel products: channel, angle bars, rails.

Its main products are square billets (exported to Turkiye and Egypt), channels (wide export geography: countries of Europe, Asia, Africa) and pig iron (exported mainly to Turkiye).