Company News Nov 22, 2004 1:00 AM
ThyssenKrupp Stahl: 16.5 million euro investment in environmental protection
New casthouse and stockhouse dedusting system put into operation at blast furnace 1
At the end of October ThyssenKrupp Stahl began operation of an ultramodern casthouse and stockhouse dedusting system at blast furnace 1 in Duisburg-Schwelgern. This 16.5 million euro investment will significantly reduce emissions of fine dusts by cleaning 1.8 million cubic meters of air per hour via a total of 18 extraction points.
Completed on schedule, the new casthouse and stockhouse dedusting system is one of the final steps in an extensive package of measures begun by the steel company three years ago to improve the environmental situation in the north of Duisburg: in April 2001 under an agreement with the North Rhine-Westphalian environment ministry ThyssenKrupp Stahl pledged to invest a total of 62 million euros in 21 defined measures to reduce dioxin and dust emissions from the Schwelgern plant. As well as the now completed casthouse dedusting system they included the encapsulation of sinter coolers at a cost to ThyssenKrupp Stahl of around 33 million euros, as well as enclosures and dust removal systems for further diffuse emission sources in the blast furnace and sinter plant areas. ThyssenKrupp Stahl has also created more green space in Schwelgern by planting thousands of plants to stabilize open spaces and provide wind protection.
The final project in the package of measures is a unique research unit to reduce emissions of lime-saturated water vapors which will begin operation at the sinter plant in Duisburg-Schwelgern next spring.
The success of the measures has been proven by measurements of dust precipitation over several months which show that a 70 percent improvement has been achieved.
Contact:
ThyssenKrupp Steel AG
Erwin Schneider
Tel.: +49 203 52 - 2 56 90
Fax: +49 203 52 - 2 57 07
e-mail: erwin.schneider@tks.thyssenkrupp.com
Dietmar Stamm
Tel.: +49 203 52 - 2 62 67
Fax: +49 203 52 - 2 57 07
e-mail: dietmar.stamm@tks.thyssenkrupp.com