Substantial environmental investments have been competed at the Tornio stainless steel plant, as a result of which the plant’s emissions will be significantly reduced, even though steel production will more than double. The most recent environmental investments are the construction of a new dust filter unit at melt shop 1 and the closure of smelter roof openings. Similarly, a new dust filter unit, representing the latest technology, has been completed at the hot rolling mill.
The total cost of these investments was EUR 22 million. During the last four years, over EUR 100 million has been spent on improving environmental protection in connection with the expansion of the Tornio stainless steel plant. This sum is a record in the history of Finnish industry as far as the development of a single plant is concerned. Together with production increases, the investments mean that the Tornio plants will in the near future form the world’s largest integrate in the manufacturing of stainless steel and the plants’ competitiveness in environmental matters will also be top class.
The introduction of the new particle cleaners means that the Tornio stainless steel plant’s most significant emissions to air, i.e. particles, will be cut to around half of present levels, despite a doubling of steel production.
The melt shop’s emissions will be reduced most by the investments. The melt shop’s specific emissions per tonne of steel produced have fallen significantly due to continuous investment (enclosed figure: Melt shop’s particle emissions).
In connection with additional construction of Steckel mills at the hot rolling mill, a new type of wet electric filter has been built, which will radically reduce the hot rolling mill’s particle emissions. As far as is known, this is the first time this technology has been used in hot rolling mills anywhere in the world and it is also the most efficient method utilized to date.
The guarantee value of the melt shop’s new filter unit is also 5 milligrams per cubic metre. The closure of the smelter’s roof openings has required the construction of a roof over the old smelter section as well as strengthening the frame of the building and the foundations. As the work has been carried out mainly while the plant was running, this has required a high input of technical expertise as well as many special solutions and temporary changes to the operation of the smelter.
For further information, please contact:
Seppo Koivuniemi, Project Director, Expansion Investments, tel. +358 16 452 422,
mobile +358 40 571 2868
Mikko Korteniemi, Melt Shop and Hot Rolling Mill Manager, tel. +358 16 452 773,
mobile +358 40 743 4191
Juha Ylimaunu, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, tel. +358 16 452 450, mobile +358 40 501 8856
