Severstal has started cold commissioning of pelletizers for the production of iron ore pellets in Cherepovets
The new complex will significantly reduce the environmental impact in Cherepovets by changing the technological process of working with iron ore raw materials and pig iron production.
Illustrative photo: Severstal.
The workshop will provide its own iron ore raw materials (pellets) to the CherMK blast furnace production, reduce coke consumption and disable a number of existing facilities (sintering machines) that have a negative impact on the environment. The project is of strategic importance due to presidential decrees aimed at achieving national goals within the framework of the Environmental Well-being project.
The construction of the 116 billion rubles facility at the CherMK site has been underway for more than a year. In 2025, the project entered the peak phase of construction, and its implementation continues, despite the difficult market situation, said Alexander Shevelev, CEO of Severstal.
"The main challenge is the timing of the construction of a new production complex. Hot commissioning is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026. This goal is based on the commitments that the company has made in terms of reducing the burden on the environment. The new workshop will allow us to almost completely abandon the existing sinter production in favor of the best available technologies for working with raw materials. Thus, we will provide blast furnaces with raw materials in the form of pellets, increase their productivity, while reducing emissions of pollutants by 96,000 tons and greenhouse gases by 2 million tons per year."Pelletizers are the key technological units of the new complex designed for granulation of crushed iron ore concentrate into raw (unburned) pellets of a given fraction. As part of the commissioning work, the specialists will perform testing of electrical equipment under operating voltage, including node-by-node scrolling of the drive mechanisms.
At this stage, the commissioning of the exhaust gas desulfurization system for roasting machines involves individual measurements and tests of booster fan control cabinets, automatic fire extinguishing systems, and gas analysis systems. Work is also underway to install the flues of booster fans and prepare for the tests of the absorption column. The wet desulfurization technology with lime milk will be used at the facility, providing a degree of purification of more than 99%. The concentration of sulfur dioxide emissions will not exceed 45 mg/m3 at a standard of 200 mg/m3. The project implements environmental solutions with a total cost of over 7 billion rubles, based on the use of the best available technologies.
In parallel, metal structures and elements are being installed on the site.