Project Description
ArcelorMittal and Primary Energy identified an opportunity to
reduce costs and improve the competitiveness of ArcelorMittal's blast
furnaces by substituting pulverized coal for a significant portion of
the coke, natural gas, and fuel oil used in the iron production process.
The two companies established a joint venture to build, own, and
operate an onsite pulverized coal processing and injection facility.
Commercial Operation
October 1993
Benefits
The use of pulverized coal to replace a portion of the coke (also
natural gas and fuel oil) in the blast furnace has substantial economic
benefits. A ton of pulverized coal can be substituted for between .75 to
.95 tons of coke, but the price differential between coke and coal
ranges from 2 to 4 times depending on the metallurgical coke and coal
markets.
The project also uses waste heat from the blast furnace stoves to
dry the coal, thus eliminating the need to burn natural gas and thereby
further avoiding air emissions. Finally, blast furnace gas has a higher
Btu content with coal utilization as opposed to coke, thus increasing
the energy recovery potential for producing process steam and
electricity.