A steady mechanical roar echoed from the Qarmet steel plant in Temirtau, the industrial center of Karaganda Oblast, Kazakhstan. With the completion of the first foundation concrete pouring, the construction of two brand new coke batteries - Battery 8 and Battery 9- officially kicked off. This is not only a transformation and upgrading of a factory, but also an industrial heritage spanning over half a century: the old coke oven that accompanied the growth of this city is about to retire proudly in the wave of modernization.  

Coking upgrade urgently needed

The global steel industry is facing dual challenges of green transformation and cost control simultaneously. The old coking equipment with high energy consumption and large emissions has become an important bottleneck restricting the sustainable development of enterprises. In Kazakhstan, with increasingly strict environmental regulations, promoting modernization of coke production is not only a compliance requirement, but also a key step in enhancing industry competitiveness and integrating into the international market.  

Transition of old and new, leap in production capacity

The newly built No. 8 and No. 9 coke cells have a designed annual production capacity of 1.5 million tons of dry coke, which will provide stable and efficient fuel support for the blast furnace production of Temirtau Metallurgical Plant in the future. As the project enters the comprehensive construction phase from preparation, it marks a substantial step forward for Qarmet in improving its automation level and environmental standards. Once the new battery is put into operation, the No.1 to No.4 coke ovens, which have been in operation for over 65 years since the 1960s, will gradually exit the historical stage, achieving an overall upgrade in safety, environmental protection, and efficiency. Keywords: energy news, new energy information

A microcosm of industrial modernization in Central Asia

Qarmet's coking upgrade project is a vivid example of promoting the green transformation of traditional industries in Kazakhstan and even Central Asia. Against the backdrop of the current global industrial chain restructuring and deepening regional cooperation, such upgrading and transformation not only helps improve the quality and efficiency of local industries, but also opens up new space for China and Central Asian countries to cooperate in green production capacity, energy-saving technology and engineering, and jointly promote the sustainable development of regional industries.  Editor/Yang Meiling