Mining News - In the exhibition, managers and experts of the energy and fluids sections of Mobarakeh Steel Company showed to visitors and industrialists the company’s latest achievements in the field of recycling and water treatment methods in the production process.
Javad Nili, MSC senior manager in charge of the department of technical services and logistics, answered the questions of reporters in the exhibition.
Q: Why has Mobarakeh Steel Company taken part in this exhibition?
A: In light of the significance of water in industry and in life at large, Mobarakeh Steel Company (MSC) uses every opportunity to upgrade its knowledge by tapping into collective wisdom. In the meantime, in line with its social responsibilities, the company is trying to transfer its experiences to other companies. Thanks to the large scope of its activities, MSC has a big number of water treatment facilities in its compounds and needs to get familiar with modern technologies to upgrade these facilities.
Q: What is the role of water in your company? How much water does MSC produce and consume?
A: When MSC was launched, under a deal it signed with the Energy Ministry, the company was allowed to extract 40 million cubic meters of water for every 2.4 million tons of steel it produced. In light of the fact that MSC’s water recycling and treatment facilities and processes functioned efficiently, the company never withdrew that much water. Now that the company’s production has grown three-fold, standing at over 7 million tons, it has saved water by 68 percent and reduced its consumption by 4 cubic meters for every ton of steel produced. This is the lowest water consumption compared with the amount of water our global rivals consume; also add to this, a hike in production in Mobarakeh Steel Company.
Q: Which methods has MSC used to optimize water consumption?
A: Since there is no replacement for water, MSC – ever since its launch – has taken into account installation of water treatment facilities and optimization of water consumption. Water plays a crucial role in steel production cycle, including the cooling of the equipment. In practice, steel production without water, energy and raw materials would be a nonstarter. That’s why we take steps toward optimization of water recycling and treatment in the production cycle.
To that end, MSC has always taken measures to reform production processes and apply modern technologies, among them dry cooling. One way to cut water consumption is to treat water again. The water which turns into wastewater after being used in the production cycle is treated again through the use of state-of-the-art technologies before being sent back to the production cycle.
Q: How much is the water treated? Can it be used for other purposes such as in green spaces?
A: Yes, the wastewater treated in MSC’s facilities can be used for irrigation of 1,600 hectares of green space in the company’s premises. More importantly, the water used in the industry should have a far better quality than the water used in green spaces, and even better than drinking water, because its hardness and electrical conductivity should be low. Thanks to the measures MSC has taken, we have managed to produce industrial water from industrial wastewater to be used in the production cycle.
Q: Are MSC’s achievements confined to the company premises? Or has MSC taken external measures as well?
A: Mobarakeh Steel was the first company which took steps toward undertaking its social responsibilities by using urban wastewater in its production cycle. Other companies are likely to have taken similar measures, but not on a scale as large as ours. In an unprecedented move, Mobarakeh Steel Company has invested in projects to collect and treat wastewater in nine nearby towns in cooperation with related organizations.
In doing so, MSC has pursued two main objectives: help improve environmental conditions, and use urban wastewater in the industry cycle and supply the water needed in its production lines. The project which got underway in the 12 months to March 20, 2013 is now 80 percent complete. It is going through its final stages and is likely to come to an end in the year to March 20, 2019. When completed, this national project will improve environmental conditions, prevent urban wastewater from overflowing into rivers, and cause MSC to extract less water from the river.
Q: How much has MSC invested in this project?
A: Considering the investments made inside and outside the company for installing a network and building the treatment facilities, MSC has put as much as 350 billion tomans into the project.
Q: Have other participating companies used MSC’s experiences in this exhibition?
A: One main objective of MSC attending the exhibition is to disseminate information. Our colleagues are here in the exhibition to offer information on the measures taken by MSC, as a leading company in the steel company. Moreover, by participating in the exhibition, MSC has tried to undertake its social responsibilities more than before when it comes to cutting water consumption and contributing to efforts to achieve the objectives of the Resistance-based Economy.
We should bear in mind that one of the main goals of this exhibition is to help shed light on the potential of domestic companies in terms of water recycling and treatment processes. The participating companies share their information with other firms, tap into the potential of domestic contractors, manufacturers and producers as much as they can, and meet their needs so that they can promote their current conditions. This will largely contribute to the following processes: better production of equipment at home and use of locally made equipment in water and wastewater industries.
It should be noted that as many as 37 well-known companies from Tehran, Isfahan, Alborz, Qazvin, Fars, Khuzestan and West Azerbaijan provinces took part in the 8th International Exhibition of Water Industry and Sewage Installations in Isfahan in mid-December.