thyssenkrupp Steel has started a planned partial refurbishment of Blast Furnace 2 at its Schwelgern facility in Duisburg. The furnace will remain offline for approximately six weeks as the company carries out important maintenance and technical upgrades.The work is aimed at improving the operational stability of pig iron production and ensuring the long-term reliability of one of the key production facilities at the Duisburg steel site.
The partial refurbishment will focus mainly on the central cooling systems and the refractory lining in the lower section of the blast furnace. Several cooling components will be replaced, while parts of the furnace’s refractory material will also be renewed. thyssenkrupp Steel will additionally install copper cooling elements, known as mini-staves, in a particularly demanding section of the furnace. These components are designed to improve cooling and provide better protection to the furnace lining during operations.
Maintenance work will also be carried out on several supporting facilities. This includes work on the gas cleaning system and slag granulation facilities. The overall programme is expected to improve the technical availability of the blast furnace and support reliable operations in the coming years.
During the six-week maintenance period, some work may result in occasional noise, including between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The company said the refurbishment activities have been planned to minimise disruption to residents living near the site. However, isolated instances of noise cannot be completely avoided due to the nature of the work.
Blast Furnace 2, also known as Schwelgern 2, is one of the most important production units at the Duisburg site. It was commissioned on October 28, 1993. With a daily output of approximately 12,000 metric tonnes of hot metal, Schwelgern 2 is the largest blast furnace in Europe. The furnace has a hearth diameter of 14.9 metres and plays a major role in the production of pig iron, a key raw material used in steelmaking.
The planned refurbishment is part of thyssenkrupp Steel’s efforts to maintain the performance and reliability of its existing production facilities. Regular maintenance and upgrades are important for ensuring stable operations, particularly at large and complex industrial plants such as blast furnaces.
The six-week shutdown will allow the company to carry out the required work in a planned manner before the furnace returns to operation. Once completed, the upgrades and maintenance activities are expected to support improved cooling, protect critical furnace components and strengthen the long-term availability of Schwelgern 2 for pig iron production at the Duisburg site.
