Steelmaker ArcelorMittal Tubarão, has commissioned Siemens VAI Metals Technologies to renovate blast furnace 1 at its Tubarão Works in Brazil. In use for over 26 years, this makes it the world's longest serving blast furnace to date. Siemens will dismantle and rebuild within a shutdown period of only 80 days. The modernization project is worth over ten million euros.
To be renovated by Siemens VAI: Blast furnace 1 at ArcelorMittal´s Tubarão Works in Brazil.
The existing blast furnace 1, at the ArcelorMittal Tubarão site, has an internal volume of 4,415 cubic meters. Its annual melting capacity is 3.3 million tons, which is about half the company's crude iron production. Since it came into operation in November 1983, the furnace has produced over 85 million tons of hot metal, more than any other blast furnace.
Within the scope of this modernization project, Siemens will be responsible for the basic and detailed engineering, methodology and planning, and for coordinating disassembly, reconstruction and commissioning. A modular project concept will be employed to make it possible to disassemble and reassemble the blast furnace in large units. This will minimize the length of the shutdown.