Press Releases
Chinese steelmaker Taiyuan Iron & Steel Company invests in Linde 60,000 Nm3/hr ASUs and steel making gas-related application technologies
Taiyuan, Shanxi, CHINA 27 October, 2010 – Linde Greater China and Taiyuan Iron & Steel Company (TISCO) have signed a contract to work on a new gas supply project aimed at achieving higher steel making energy efficiency and emission reduction at TISCO’s steel mill in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. The contract places a total investment figure of around EUR 100 million on the project.
Linde will construct two new 60,000 normal cubic meters of oxygen per hour (Nm3/hour) Linde-manufactured state-of-the-art energy efficient air separation units. The ASUs will be managed by Linde and TISCO’s joint venture gases facility, BOC-TISCO Gases (BTG), and doubling BOC-TISCO’s present oxygen capacity to 220,000 Nm3/hour of oxygen.
Linde and TISCO are also working on the development of state-of-the-art gases application technologies for TISCO’s wider steelmaking processes. This comes at the back of TISCO’s successful trials over the past two years with blast furnace oxygen-enrichment technology, doubling the oxygen enrichment rate of its blast furnaces. This translates into improved energy efficiencies and reduction in emissions.
This project contracted is part of TISCO’s low carbon growth strategy. To achieve this, TISCO is upgrading its steel production plants and investing in Linde’s technology and gases solutions for sustainable improvements in energy consumption and carbon emission.
"Linde is excited to be working with TISCO to develop solutions of the future for its low carbon growth strategy. The application of the blast furnace oxygen-enrichment technology is farseeing of TISCO, as such gases application technologies can significantly enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emission,” said Steven Fang, Head of Linde Greater China.
"The signing of this contract with Linde is another milestone for both parties, and I am confident that both companies will deliver an unparalleled top-notch project for TISCO to implement our low-carbon growth strategy,” says Mr. Gao Xiangming, Board Member of TISCO Group and Deputy General Manager of Stainless Steel Company Limited.
Linde and TISCO have been partners since 1996, owning the 50:50 joint venture subsidiary, BTG, in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. Today, the joint venture operates and manages the production of 110,000 Nm3/hour for supply to TISCO’s steel mill located in the same site.
TISCO is one of the world’s largest stainless steel manufacturers. It was recently nominated by the Chinese government to lead in the consolidation of the steel industry in the Shanxi province.
About Linde’s steel making applications technologies
Linde delivers oxyfuel-enabled gas applications for different furnace processes through its dedicated research and development centre, the Linde Technology Centre. With oxyfuel, combustion air in the furnace is replaced with oxygen-enriched air or pure oxygen. This increases furnace throughput, also cutting fuel consumption and emissions. These include:
Blast furnace oxygen enrichment technology doubles oxygen enrichment rate, reduces coke consumption and associated emissions as well as improving the efficiency of the blast furnace.
Blast Furnace Stove Oxygen Enrichment technology reduces energy consumption and reduce natural gas purchases.
REBOX® HLL oxyfuel system reduces heating costs and allows for up to a 30% reduction in fuel consumption in reheating furnaces, reduced natural gas purchases as well as increased production rates.
REBOX ® DST technology reduces cost and improves product quality.
LINDARC® Ladle Preheat technology reduces heating costs and fuel consumption by up to 50% in ladle heating processes.
The Linde Technology Centre in Shanghai drives research and development initiatives in partnership with gas-reliant industries and research institutes to improve gases related industrial processes and develop green technologies geared towards future and sustainable applications. The centre serves the Asia-Pacific region.
About The Linde Group
Linde Greater China is a member of The Linde Group, a world leading gases and engineering company, with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.
Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe.Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
Linde Greater China is headquartered in Shanghai and has around 50 wholly-owned companies and joint ventures, and more than 150 operational plants in major industrial hubs across the country, with around 3,000 employees.