Chinese special steel producer Huaigang Special Steel, part of the Jiangsu Shagang Group, has awarded Primetals Technologies a final acceptance certificate (FAC) for an 80-ton EAF Quantum electric arc furnace installed in Huai’an, Jiangsu province. The first heat was produced in January 2024, just five months after installation began.
The EAF Quantum offers exceptional production flexibility, achieving single heats with tap-to-tap times of just 32 minutes. In July, Huaigang operated the furnace with a mix of 25pct hot metal and 75pct scrap, achieving a power consumption of 240 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per ton and an oxygen consumption of 23 to 25 cubic meters per ton. In August, they switched to 100pct scrap and also tested a mix of 30pct hot metal and 70pct scrap, reducing power consumption to below 230 kWh per ton. The furnace can utilize 30 to 40pct hot metal during charging.
Primetals Technologies provided Huaigang with essential mechanical and electrical equipment, including a Level 1 automation system, automated charging, and systems for oxygen injection and sand filling.
The flexible raw material application and the EAF Quantum’s high melting efficiency allow for high-quality production while reducing melting power consumption to less than 230 kWh per ton for single heats and significantly shortening melting times. Compared to conventional EAF plants, production costs are reduced by over 20pct. A key innovation of the EAF Quantum is its scrap preheating process, which features a trapezoidal shaft and a scrap retention system. This design optimizes scrap distribution and allows exhaust gas to preheat the scrap, leading to less time and energy required for melting, thereby increasing productivity and reducing power consumption.
Huaigang produces 3.2 mln tons of special steel annually, focusing on high-end products like spring and bearing steel, making it a leader in China’s special steel market.
