OREANDA-NEWS.  On December 7, 2007, Victor Rashnikov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC MMK, signed a EUR 142 million contract for the delivery of equipment and construction of a coke oven battery (№11-bis) with the Czech company VITKOVICE  HEAVY MACHINERY A.S., MMK's press service reported.

The need for a new coke oven battery was prompted by a projected growth of production at MMK. The implementation of the project will permit to step up the total output of coke to the levels sufficient to produce 12 million tpy of pig iron, and modernize the existing coke producing facilities without any significant drop in coke output.

The new battery will be able to produce 1,140,000 tons per year of coke at 6% humidity. The project will comprise two production units, each with an annual capacity of 570,000 tons, a coal bin, a quenching house and a number of coke machines. The battery will have a dust-free coke delivery system ensuring a drastic reduction in emissions levels.

The project will take 36 months to complete.