Compressors for one of Ukraine's largest metallurgical plants

In 2024, the Compressors International team started and completed an ambitious project to replace the K-1500 centrifugal compressor (1500 m3/min) with modern energy-efficient compressor equipment for one of the largest steel plants in Ukraine.

The project was initiated by YASNO-Energy Efficiency LLC, which is currently one of the few companies that helps to implement energy efficiency projects for industry, namely energy service or energy service contracts. The company covers the costs of implementing the latest technologies.

Energy service contracts help companies modernise their facilities and pay for them with the money they save on energy consumption due to the energy efficiency of their new equipment. Energy services are provided for up to 7 years. During this time, the company pays the full cost of the new equipment.

The customer for the energy service in this case was the metallurgical production of KAMET STEEL PJSC. The payback period of the equipment purchased under the project is 7 years due to energy savings.

‘KAMET  STEEL is a full-cycle metallurgical enterprise that is part of METINVESTHOLDING LLC. The plant specialises in the production of continuously cast billets, shapes and sections, including rebar, wire rod, layers and profiles. It is the world's only producer of rolled axial billets.

The main goal of our project for KAMET STAL is to significantly reduce the specific energy consumption for compressed air production and reduce operating costs. Compressed air plays a primary role in metallurgical production, as without it, the process of manufacturing metallurgical products at high temperatures is impossible. Therefore, the task was to quickly and as energy-efficiently as possible re-equip the plant with new efficient and effective compressor technology.

As a compressor supplier, a time-tested company that has proven itself as a reliable manufacturer of high-quality powerful equipment - HANWHA Power System Co., LTD (South Korea) - was chosen. In order to obtain a high degree of performance control, four compressors were installed - model SM6100, each with a maximum capacity of 375 m3/min.

The work was carried out on a turnkey basis and consisted of the following main stages:

• Design, during which the main technological solutions were selected and agreed upon by the company's representatives;
• Dismantling of the old compressor K-1500. On the foundation of which the new compressor equipment was to be installed;
• Delivery of equipment from the factory of manufacturer HANWHA (South Korea);
• Installation of the equipment at the enterprise;
• Commissioning. 

The project turned out to be quite complex and full of challenges and solutions to create the most appropriate compressed air system design for the company.

Initially, the complexity was related to the tight deadlines and the forced change of the equipment installation location, which occurred after the project documentation was completed and approved.

But any difficulties are always a challenge for the specialists of Compressors International Ltd. As a result of brainstorming between the teams of the customer's enterprise and Compressors International, a new scheme of compressor placement was chosen in a fairly short time, namely: on a frame made of metal structures, rather than on a reinforced concrete foundation, as originally planned, which allowed for the most reliable implementation of the new tasks.

More than 30 tonnes of steel structures were used for the frame and compressor service areas!

The compressor cooling system is liquid. For the cooling system the existing factory water supply system was used, but in order to ensure the necessary quality, prolong the system operation and ensure compliance with the purification parameters, STF water filters (Spain) were additionally used and installed in the system.

Special focus should be given to the compressor equipment automation system, which maximises the display of operating parameters, allows remote control and monitoring with chronological recording of events and the ability to generate reports and graphs of parameters for reporting periods. In addition, two automated workstations were installed for convenience and flexibility of work of compressor station operators and the possibility of simultaneous work of two operators.

Thanks to the implementation of this project, the compressor station allows to:

• Produce 788,400,000 m3 of air per year
• Save more than 20 per cent of electricity compared to the previous K-1500,
• Flexibly adjust capacity depending on the current need for compressed air.
• Have constant 24/7 access to the processes that take place with the compressor equipment, including remotely.

The project for KAMET STEEL is one of the largest projects of Compressors International, which utilises high-efficiency SM 100 series centrifugal oil-free compressors from HANWHA Power System.

Ambitious tasks and solutions in the field of generating, compressor technology for Ukrainian enterprises - this is the sphere of activity on which Compressors International specialises. We co-operate with the world's leading manufacturers of compressor equipment. That confirms  we can design and implement large-scale projects of any complexity, improve existing systems and provide service support for our projects.

Projects like the compressor system for KAMET STEEL are extremely eloquent testimony that against all odds, the industry is moving in a progressive direction. And our Compressors International team has been working and growing for over 20 years, constantly gaining experience to provide the best solutions to make your production as efficient as possible.