Gwangyang Steelworks Achieves Operational Stability by Replacing Aging Blower Equipment

Blowing Hot Air Inside the Blast Furnace with New Blowing Equipment Improves Operation Efficiency of Ultra-Large Blast Furnace

Contributes to Cost Reduction by Lowering Operating Expenses through Reduced Power Consumption

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks (Director Lee Jin-su) has replaced the aging blower equipment for Blast Furnace Nos. 1 and 2 and achieved stable blast furnace operations.

The blower equipment (M/B, Motor Blower) is a facility that blows hot air into the blast furnace to produce molten iron. The amount of air produced by one blower in a day is enough to fill the Gocheok Dome stadium.

The No. 1 blower equipment, which has been in use since the construction of the first phase of Gwangyang Steelworks in 1987, had limitations in improving operational efficiency due to performance degradation from long-term use.

In particular, when Blast Furnace No. 1, which had a volume of 3,800㎥, was expanded to the world's largest scale of 6,000㎥ in 2013, the existing blower equipment was insufficient to supply the optimal amount of air needed for stable operations.

Based on this modernization, Gwangyang Steelworks not only replaced three blowers of the No. 1 blower equipment all at once but also expanded the equipment capacity, enabling stable operation of the ultra-large blast furnace.

Furthermore, with improved operational efficiency through equipment replacement, the power consumption is expected to decrease, reducing operating costs by about 3 billion KRW annually.

A Gwangyang Steelworks official stated, “The No. 2 and No. 3 blower equipment, which are scheduled for rationalization in the future, will also be safely constructed with safety as the top priority throughout the work process,” and added, “We will complete the improvements as planned to contribute to continuous operational efficiency enhancement.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.