Huaigang Special Steel issues the final acceptance certificate for EAF

The Chinese special steel manufacturer Huaigang Special Steel, which belongs to the Jiangsu Shagang Group, has recently granted the final acceptance certificate (FAC) to Primetals Technologies for an 80-ton EAF Quantum electric arc furnace. The EAF at the site in Huai'an in Jiangsu province promises significantly reduced production costs.

The first heat was produced in January 2024, just five months after Primetals and Huaigang Special Steel commenced on-site installation works. According to Primetals, this EAF Quantum offers remarkable production flexibility, achieving single heats with tap-to-tap times of 32 minutes. In July, Huaigang operated the furnace on 25 percent hot metal and 75 percent scrap at a power consumption of 240 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per ton and an oxygen consumption of 23 to 25 cubic meters per ton. The following month, Huaigang switched to 100 percent scrap. Additionally, they have used a mix of 30 percent hot metal and 70 percent scrap, achieving power consumption figures of less than 230 kWh per ton. Huaigang also has the option to utilize 30 to 40 percent hot metal during the charging process.
The flexible application of raw materials and the EAF Quantum’s high melting efficiency ensure the production of high-quality special steel products, further reducing melting power consumption to less than 230 kWh per ton for single heats and significantly shortening melting times. Compared with conventional EAF plants, production costs are reduced by more than 20 percent, says Primetals.
According to the company, one of the most significant differences between conventional EAF plants and the EAF Quantum is the scrap preheating process. The EAF Quantum features a trapezoidal shaft and a scrap retention system. This design optimizes scrap distribution and allows exhaust gas to preheat scrap. As a result, the EAF Quantum requires less time and energy to melt scrap, reducing power consumption and increasing productivity due to shorter processing times.
Source: Primetals Technologies