NLMK supplies NGO steel for Azovstal wind farm

Vertically-integrated steel producer NLMK has begun supplying non-grain orientated dynamo steel to the Russian Electrotechnical Group (Ruselprom). This will be used for manufacturing wind turbine generators used in the construction of Russian southern Rostov region’s first renewable energy project, the company says.

NLMK already has already begun to supply steel for the project, which will see the 90 MW Azov wind farm generating around 300 GWh/year of renewable energy. Output from the farm will thus offset around 260,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. NLMK’s NGO steel will be used to make wound rotor induction generators of 3.5 MW capacity each. Its low magnetic properties will enable around a 10-15% increase in efficiency of the machinery, NLMK notes.

The steelmaker does not reveal how much steel will be used for this project, but says the deliveries have started, adding that it has supplied around 25,000t of dynamo steel to Ruselprom in the last five years. The two companies have been cooperating for the past 20 years, Ilya Gischin, NLMK sales director is noted as saying.

NLMK has around 81% share of the Russian NGO steel market, which it produces at its principal steelworks in Lipetsk. The company is eyeing India for the construction of a transformer steel facility, where it has a strong foothold (see Kallanish 30 July).