The unit, a Consteel EAF, was started up on September 17, replacing the facility's Consteel furnace that had originally been installed in 2008.
The new unit, Tenova said, has a 300-tonne tapping size and can reach a power-on time of 37 minutes with a charge mix that consists of up to 30% HBI or other scrap substitutes.
The furnace has a 9.1m-diameter shell and is continuously fed by a 4m-wide Consteel slip-stick conveyor. It also features a level 1 and level 2 automation package.
Tenova SVP Silvio Reali said the performance of the new Consteel EAF was designed to meet the increased demand for recently revamped continuous casting and rolling mill line of the plant.
"We are currently proceeding with a very quick ramp-up phase [as of September 30]. After just a few days from the start-up, the furnace is already operating on three shifts," Reali said.
