NLMK launches green coke and chemical by-product recovery complex

2019-07-13

Jul. 12, 2019 - NLMK Lipetsk, NLMK Group's flagship production site,  has launched a recovery complex to capture and process chemical by-products from coke and chemical operations. The project will enable an increase in the production of raw materials for the chemical industry and the agricultural sector, and halve the shop's air emissions.

Denis Manturov, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade, and Igor Artamonov, Acting Head of the Lipetsk Region Administration, attended the opening ceremony.

The new complex was built with the use of best available technologies (BAT). It captures the entire volume of gas generated during the heating of coals in coke oven batteries and purifies it, while the chemicals released during the purification process are further processed into products for third parties: crude benzene used as feedstock in the chemical industry, and ammonium sulphate used in the production of nitrogenous fertilizers in the agricultural sector. Purified coke oven gas is used as fuel for the coke ovens themselves and for the site's power plants.

The new equipment and sustainable technologies will enable the recovery of 100% of ammonium sulphate dust, and significantly reduce the shop’s emissions: hydrogen sulphide by 31%, phenol by 71%, ammonia by 79%, and naphthalene by 23%.

The company’s total investment in the project amounted to RUB 4.6 bn.

Konstantin Lagutin, NLMK Group Vice President, Investment Projects, said: “The chemical by-products recovery complex that combines coke oven gas flows from all coke batteries is practically waste-free. It is designed using advanced technologies and ensures efficient gas purification, process safety and high environmental performance.”