News El 6 Novocherkassk

Novocherkassk, October 8, 2019. EPM– Novocherkassk electrode plant (EPM – NEP, member of EPM Group) has completed the construction of a modern ring furnace designed by the German company RIEDHAMMER in the baking shop. Ballast was loaded for commissioning in accordance with the schedule.

Construction of the facility has been underway since last autumn. At the moment, drying, the final stage of commissioning of the new equipment, is in progress. The chambers have been loaded with so-called ballast (blocks filled with packing coke aggregate), which will be baked at a certain temperature. Furnace drying will last until early November. The furnace equipment is adjusted by RIEDHAMMER experts. Gas equipment (burners) was also installed to heat the furnace chambers.

More than 150 people were involved in construction of the furnace. About 400 trucks with materials (refractory bricks, as well as cement mixtures and equipment) were needed for the work.

According to the Managing Director of EPM – NEP Evgeny Churikov, construction of a modern baking furnace is a key investment project of the plant aimed at improving the quality and increasing the production of 610mm diameter graphitized electrodes.

RIEDHAMMER prebaking furnace is scheduled to be commissioned in Q4 2019. Total cost of the project will amount to more than 1.5 billion rubles.

RIEDHAMMER furnace significantly surpasses its existing analogues in terms of technical parameters and provides high performance, premium product quality, automated control and allows achieving environmental and energy efficiency benchmarks.