Electric Steelmaking with the Electric Arc Furnace

The electric arc furnace plays a pivotal role in modern steelmaking, addressing the industry's demand for sustainable practices. Producers face challenging market conditions that require them to enhance plant efficiency to remain competitive. Achieving an optimal balance in electric arc furnace (EAF) technology involves fine-tuning charge materials, process control, cycle times, logistics, and productivity, necessitating both extensive experience and precise analysis of steelmaking requirements. Primetals Technologies offers electric arc furnaces designed to meet the specific requirements of operators. These plants combine high capacity with maximum availability, processing a variety of charging materials and producing a wide range of steel grades without lengthy adaptation times that hinder production. Additionally, costs are reduced in terms of both initial investments and throughout the plant's operational lifetime, while the environmental impact of electric steelmaking is minimized.

High Productivity with the EAF Ultimate

The EAF Ultimate electric arc furnace encapsulates over 40 years of experience and innovation from Primetals Technologies in the field of electric arc furnaces. This new generation is designed to be the ultimate in every aspect. It features state-of-the-art electric steelmaking technology and design elements that deliver maximum performance in both quantity and quality. The EAF Ultimate offers exceptionally high energy input rates of up to 1,500 kVA/t of liquid, incorporates innovative RCB technology to enhance performance, and features an enlarged furnace for simultaneous single-bucket charging. This combination yields extremely short tap-to-tap times, significantly improving productivity. For instance, at a capacity of 120 tons, the EAF Ultimate achieves the same productivity as a 180-ton standard EAF, representing a 50% increase in productivity at the same tapping weight.

High Efficiency with the EAF Quantum

The EAF Quantum electric arc furnace is based on an optimized preheating and melting concept, delivering minimal conversion costs, maximizing output, and ensuring environmental compliance. With 100% scrap preheating, efficient energy recovery results in energy consumption of less than 280 kWh/t. This efficiency is achieved through a trapezoidal shaft design combined with a redesigned retaining system, which enables optimal scrap allocation and improved off-gas routing for efficient heat transfer. Melting scrap in significant liquid heels supports pure flat-bath operation with minimal flicker and enhances preheating efficiency. Combined with the Furnace Advanced Slag-free Tapping system (FAST—siphon design), this innovative furnace concept enables charging, tapping, and refilling the tap hole under power-on conditions.

High Quality with the EAF Stainless

The increasing global demand for stainless steel can be met by installing melting units equipped with the latest technologies and design features. The EAF Stainless electric arc furnace combines all the benefits of the EAF Ultimate concept, specifically tailored to meet the needs of stainless steel production. This furnace type is characterized by maximized power input and high productivity. Primetals Technologies stands as the world’s leading supplier of electric arc furnaces for stainless steel production.

High Flexibility with DC and AC Electric Arc Furnaces

With decades of experience in designing electric arc furnaces, Primetals Technologies offers steel producers a wide range of powerful options for high-performance electric steelmaking. This includes electric arc furnaces of various sizes and types, twin-shell furnaces, and shaft furnaces, along with all related processes, automation systems, and environmental control systems. The AC and DC electric arc furnaces from Primetals Technologies serve as ideal melting units for producing all types of steel, ranging from standard carbon grades to high-alloyed and stainless steel grades.

Overall, furnace performance can be further enhanced with the latest oxygen and carbon injection technologies. These furnaces offer maximum flexibility regarding input materials, with solutions available for hot or cold DRI feeding, hot metal input, or pure scrap charging. Twin-shell electric arc furnaces offer an attractive solution for enhancing plant productivity, particularly when infrastructural limitations preclude an increase in tapping weight. Power-off times can be reduced to less than three minutes.

Benefits of Electric Arc Furnaces from Primetals Technologies

• High reliability: assured fulfillment of contractual agreements
• Leading-edge innovation: EAF Ultimate delivers maximum productivity, flexible process control, and high availability; EAF Quantum sets the benchmark for efficiency and environmentally friendly electric steelmaking
• Short start-up periods: user-friendly systems supported by extensive process expertise
• High quality and minimized downtime risk: achieved through a high level of standardization in system components
• Short amortization time: low consumption levels, high availability, and dependable productivity ensure rapid return on investment