Zaporizhstal repaired a continuous pickling unit

Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works has repaired the continuous pickling unit No. 4 in the cold rolling mill. This is stated in a press release on the company’s Facebook page.

“MetinvestPromService specialists and rollers of the shop replaced the idle axles of the Omega trolley No. 2, inspected the wheels of the lower storage, industrial rollers and descaler, etc. Also, as part of the repair, the drive axle of trolley No. 3 was replaced at the coil preparation area before feeding it to the BTA-4 line,” the statement said.

An important effect of this repair is preventive maintenance of equipment, prevention of unit downtime and ensuring stable operation of the plant.

In June, Zaporizhstal completed a major overhaul of the 3rd category of blast furnace (BF) No. 4. The total cost of the work is estimated at UAH 92 million. The works started on June 19 and lasted 8 days according to the plan. The overhaul included replacing the three-cone charger, repairing the casting yard equipment, charge feeder and key components of the air heater, etc.

In 2022-2023, Zaporizhstal allocated more than UAH 1.2 billion to upgrade production equipment and treatment facilities at the complex. During the full-scale invasion, the program focused on maintaining and updating equipment to ensure its reliable operation in unpredictable wartime conditions.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in 2023, Zaporizhstal increased its output by 50.6% compared to 2022, to 7.24 million tons. In particular, the plant produced

• iron – 2.72 million tons (+35.3% yoy);
• steel – 2.47 million tons (+65.4%);
• rolled products – 2.05 million tons (+57.2%).

Hostile shelling and destruction, interruptions in the supply of raw materials and energy, and disruption of logistics routes due to the blockade of seaports led to a decrease in Zaporizhstal’s production performance compared to pre-war levels. In particular, in 2021, the plant produced 4.5 million tons of iron, 3.8 million tons of steel and 3.2 million tons of rolled products. In 2023, the plant operated at an average of 70% of its capacity.