The decision on whether ArcelorMittal’s blast furnace “A” in Gijón will be operational again will be made 1,500 kilometers from Asturias. Repairs to the blast furnace that caught fire last Wednesday require approval from the management of the Luxembourg multinational, as does the plan to decarbonize the steel mill, which requires an investment of 1,000m euros. It will be decided whether the plant, which is one of the main pillars of the economy of Asturias, will return to pig iron production, or whether it will die two years before the end of its useful life, with the reports to be sent from Asturias. If the decision is repair, in the best-case scenario, the oven will not work again until May..
The life or lifetime of the furnace will depend on the extent and cost of the repair work and, for the time being, ArcelorMitta personnel.It has not yet reached the zero point. Sinister, crucible of the blast furnace. Currently, cooling works continue in the facilities to ensure safe access to the furnace. On Sunday or Monday at the latest, the remains of pig iron (cast iron) and slag deposited at the bottom of the furnace are removed in a process known as “salamander”. From then on, a window can be opened to access the interior of the oven. and assess in detail the damage it caused.
steel company in two weeks hopes to receive accurate reports on the condition of the furnace. As a minimum, the repair will consist of plugging the holes formed in the crucible and replacing part of the refractory and cooling systems (slats). The most appropriate scenario would be to shut down “A” blast furnace at least until May. However, according to company sources, if all the refractory in the furnace needs to be replaced, there will be talk of “a few more months” already. Moreover, the cost will increase and the probability of amortizing the investment will increase. -given that the blast furnace is expected to be replaced by a direct green hydrogen-fired iron ore plant and hybrid electric arc furnace by 2025.
Due to the amount of work to be performed, the final decision will be made by the management of the multinational company in Luxembourg, taking into account the content and needs of the work, as well as the reports sent from Asturias on damage and repair costs. the remaining factories of the company in Europe. ArcelorMittal technicians in Asturias are in contact with teams from steel multinationals in South Africa, Mexico and the US, where blast furnace fires similar to the one that occurred in Gijón on Wednesday have been reported. They are consulted about the procedure to be followed after the event.
The fire at blast furnace “A” in Gijón occurred last Wednesday afternoon while a scheduled maintenance operation was being carried out.. Furnace stopped to replace a nozzle (where hot air enters) and an internal reaction was produced by the contact of the pig iron deposited in the crucible of the furnace with the water. Due to the explosion, a hole was formed in the wall of the crucible, from which the pig iron came out. It also came out of the nozzle to be replaced. This leak caused a huge fire and a huge plume of smoke, visible from most of the Gijón and Carreño councils.
It was noted from the steel company that the presence of water in the crucible, which was the trigger of the event, has not yet been determined. However, it is pointed out that most likely the water comes from the blast furnace’s own cooling circuits and a leak occurred in the crucible. In the blast furnace, both the gases and the charge can reach 1,600-1,800 degrees Celsius; this is a temperature high enough to damage the furnace’s refractory lining that protects the steel shell. Therefore, to counter this effect, Different cooling systems are used. which cools the walls of the furnace. Above the refractory are cooling plates or “slats” in which the water pipes are located, and a series of rings surrounding the furnace whose job is to distribute the water around the furnace so that cooling can be carried out as efficiently as possible. .