Gerdau selects Danieli Corus for blast furnace renovation in Brazil

Brazilian mining and steel company Gerdau and Danieli Corus, a subsidiary of the Italian steel equipment producer, have signed contracts to modernize blast furnace No. 01 at Ouro Branco, located in the state of Minas Gerais. This is reported by Steel Orbis.

The project, among other things, includes the construction of a new furnace hearth. As noted by Danieli, its new design is based on large carbon blocks and is expected to provide a service life of more than 15 years.

Blast furnace No. 01 at Ouro Branco has a pig iron production capacity of 3 million tons per year. It is not known how long the unit will be idle during the upgrade.

According to Danieli, in recent years, Gerdau and Daniel Corus have developed a stable relationship due to the successful implementation of consulting services and modernization projects in both blast furnace and converter shops. The parties are confident that the new modernization project will determine the success of the next campaign of the largest blast furnace at the Ouro Branco site.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Gerdau has entered into an agreement to acquire Solar Arinos Holding to develop, build and operate a new solar energy park in Minas Gerais. The Arinos solar park is expected to have an installed capacity of approximately 420 MW and will include a power substation. The total investment in its construction will be approximately $280 million. Once it is fully operational (the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024), 30% of the renewable energy generated will be used to produce Gerdau steel in Brazil.