ABB has been chosen to supply its patented ArcSave electromagnetic stirrers as part of a substantial refit at leading Chinese iron and steel producer Guangdong Nanfang Donghai’s steelmaking plant in Guangdong Province, southern China.

The order comprises two ArcSave systems for use with two new electric arc furnaces (EAF). ArcSave will be delivered as part of the contract between Tenova, a leading company specialized in innovative solutions for the metals and mining industries, and Guangdong Nanfang Donghai, within Tenova’s Consteerrer concept, an innovative solution consisting of Consteel EAF and ABB ArcSave electromagnetic stirrer. Commissioning is planned for October 2021.

Illustration of ABB ArcSave electromagnetic stirring process.

Making no physical contact with the bottom of the EAF, ArcSave improves the melting of large scrap items, reducing stratification via forced convection and leaving no dead zones in the melt. This improves furnace operation by helping to maintain an even temperature and homogenizing chemical composition, while accelerating scrap and ferroalloy melting compared with natural convection alone.

A more even melt temperature gives a higher eccentric bottom tap-hole (EBT) free opening frequency, reducing tapping delays and enabling a safer, more reliable EAF operation. ArcSave also helps reduce environmental impact by lowering electricity usage and process additions such as alloys and lime, and consumables such as electrodes.

Mounting cost pressures on steelmakers, together with increasing competition and environmental concerns require our customers to maintain a relentless focus on performance and innovative cost cutting. As the only supplier of ArcSave EAF-EMS technology worldwide, we are confident that it will contribute significantly to cost and energy savings, in addition to improved yield and safety at the Donghai plant.

—Anders Lehman, Vice President ABB Metallurgy Products

Typically, ABB’s ArcSave can improve yield by around one percent, with productivity improvements of between five and seven percent. The solution also reduces consumption of electrical energy by three to five percent.