Empowering production capacity in the metallurgical industry
The metallurgical industry stands at the core of the global economy, supplying vital materials for various applications. However, the energy-intensive processes involved, such as steel manufacturing and metal production, often encounter power quality challenges that hinder efficiency and production capacity. In this blog, we delve into the significance of power quality in the metallurgical industry and explore the transformative impact of innovative technologies like Merus® SVC and Merus® STATCOM, which offer remarkable solutions to mitigate power quality issues and enhance production capacity.
Power quality challenges in the metallurgical industry
The heavy industries of steel manufacturing and mining grapple with power quality hurdles that can hamper productivity and efficiency. Challenges such as flicker, voltage instability, and excessive reactive power demand not only disrupt operations but also lead to costly penalties for non-compliance with grid codes and higher reactive power tariffs. To ensure seamless operations and bolster production capacity, addressing these power quality challenges is imperative.
Flicker mitigation
Merus® SVC and STATCOM, cutting-edge and robust technology solutions, prove highly effective in reducing flicker. These technologies offer precise voltage and reactive power control, effectively compensating for reactive power demand fluctuations and guaranteeing a steady voltage supply to critical equipment.
Stabilizing voltage levels
Fluctuating reactive power demand in processes like Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF), Ladle Furnaces (LF), rolling mills, and crushers result in voltage variations in the factory’s network. With the implementation of Merus® SVC or STATCOM, the voltage level can be stabilized, ensuring a stable voltage supply to meet the demanding operational requirements.
Increased productivity
Merus® advanced compensation technology excels in the metallurgical industry, delivering various benefits that amplify productivity and reduce operational costs. Voltage stability is ensured even during rapidly fluctuating reactive power demand, resulting in reduced melt-time in steel plants, higher payloads for large inductive loads, and increased torque for AC motors. These improvements have a direct positive impact on production capacity in steel plants.
Financial benefits and energy efficiency
Increased productivity translates to higher output with the same energy consumption. With Merus® Technology, reactive power losses are minimized, and machinery operations are optimized. Improved power quality enables the factory to comply with grid-code criteria set by local network providers. Additionally, optimized operations lead to reduced maintenance requirements and avoid unnecessary downtime, generating substantial cost savings for investors, which in turn contributes to a swift return on investment.
The modular and redundant design of Merus® Solutions
A noteworthy feature of Merus® STATCOM and SVC lies in their modular and redundant design. Each compensator is comprised of several independent modules. In the event of an internal module failure, it is isolated from the system, ensuring continuous operation without any disruptions. This modular approach offers flexibility in power capacity, enabling easy scalability to meet evolving production demands.
Conclusion
The metallurgical industry’s energy-intensive processes necessitate stable and reliable power quality to maintain high production capacity and operational efficiency. Embracing advanced compensation solutions like Merus® STATCOM and SVC significantly enhances power system stability, effectively mitigates flicker, and reduces reactive power demand, leading to uninterrupted operations and increased productivity. The integration of these innovative technologies empowers heavy industries with a sustainable and profitable future, characterized by reduced downtime, lower maintenance costs, and prolonged equipment lifetimes. As one of the leading providers of innovative power quality solutions, Merus Power emerges as a trusted technological partner, offering cutting-edge solutions and expertise to meet the power quality needs of the heavy industry. Merus Power is dedicated to consulting customers on leveraging the full potential of Merus® Solutions to elevate their production capacity and drive success across the metallurgical industry, just as it has proven its worth in EAFs, LFs, rolling mills, and crushers worldwide.
Markus Ovaskainen
Director, Sales
Out of office until December 30, 2024.
