The Swiss Steel Group has converted a forging furnace at its Finkl Steel-Sorel Québec plant from fossil fuels to electric power. Heating the furnace with green electricity not only reduces the carbon footprint but also brings numerous other benefits to the process and to the people working at the plant.
“The first electric forging furnace in our group is a prime example of ‘Forging the future.’ It paves the way for the further electrification of larger furnaces, enabling us to continuously and sustainably reduce our carbon footprint in line with our decarbonization roadmap”, says Olivier Lebrun, CTO of the Swiss Steel Group. “The transition to this furnace technology is a groundbreaking engineering achievement and sets the standard for the Swiss Steel Group and the entire steel industry.”
According to the company, the conversion of the Swiss Steel Group’s first forging furnace to electric heating was also the first installation of its kind in the world. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, the switch from natural gas to electricity also leads to increased productivity and savings in energy consumption. For example, modeling showed a significant reduction in heat loss and thus higher energy efficiency. A more stable process, improved plant availability, and reduced maintenance requirements are also expected. Another advantage stems from the reduction in steel oxidation in the furnace: electric heating produces less scale and thus less material loss.
The switch to electric furnace technology also has a positive impact on employee health and safety: electric heating furnaces are safer to operate, air quality in the plant is improved, and dust levels are lower. Additionally, the electric forging furnace is safer to handle and easier to maintain.
Same performance, highest quality
All these advantages are achieved while maintaining the highest quality standards (temperature homogeneity, etc.) with the same heating capacity as in the gas-fired furnace, Swiss Steel says. According to the company, this was already demonstrated by simulations and feasibility studies conducted in advance, which were developed in collaboration with scientists at the Research Chair at ETS University (École de technologie supérieure) in Montreal. They specialize in applied teaching and research in engineering as well as the transfer of advanced technologies to companies.
As part of the conversion, all burners and natural gas-related components were removed and 36 tubular heating elements were installed, capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1,600 °C. In addition, new electrical controls were installed to supply the furnace with 1.4 MW. Another innovation is the use of a new refractory material that has the same insulating properties as ceramic wool but emits no pollutants.
Electrified Process Chain
The facility is powered by 100% hydroelectricity – one of the lowest-emission forms of energy generation – further strengthening the environmental performance of the site. In the new electric forging furnace at Finkl Steel-Sorel Québec, ingots weighing up to 40 tons can be heated before being forged on a press that was also recently upgraded and then further processed. The entire process chain, from the electric arc furnace to the heat treatment facilities, can now be powered electrically, enabling the company to offer customers high-quality, low-emission steel products.
The plant in St-Joseph-de-Sorel specializes in tool steels and high-grade engineering steels. The facilities can forge and heat-treat workpieces of a wide variety of shapes and sizes by customer requirements with their 2 open-die press of 2 000 tons and the new one of 6 700 tons.
Source: Swiss Steel
