Circular 03/2014/TT-BCT stipulating technology and equipment for iron and steel production promulgated by the Minister of Industry and Trade

CIRCULAR

REGULATIONS ON TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCTION OF CAST IRON AND STEEL

Pursuant to the Law on Economic and Efficient Use of Energy dated June 17, 2010;

Pursuant to Decree No.127/2007/ND-CP dated August 01, 2007 of the Government on elaboration of a number of Articles of the Law on Technical Regulations and Standards;

Pursuant to Decree No.95/2012/ND-CP dated November 12, 2012 of the Government on function, duties, rights and organizational structure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

At the request of Director General of the Heavy Industry Department,

The Minister of Industry and Trade promulgates a Circular on technology and equipment for production of cast iron and steel with the following contents:

Chapter 1

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope

1. This Circular provides for technology and equipment used in steel manufacturers and cast iron manufacturers, including coke making, sintering, ironmaking, steelmaking by converter, electric-arc steelmaking, steelmaking by induction furnace and steel rolling.

2. This Circular shall not apply to steel manufacturers and cast iron manufacturers for casting mechanical properties; non-ferrous metallurgy, production of alloy steel and steel for metalworking.

This Circular applies to agencies, organizations and individuals involved in investment in establishment, reform and expansion of steel manufacturers and cast iron manufacturers in the territory of Vietnam specified in Clause 1 Article 1 herein.

Article 3. Definition

For the purpose of this Circular, the terms below shall be construed as follows:

1. “volume of blast furnace" refers to the effective volume of a blast furnace which is measured by cubic meter.

2. “furnace size” refers to the volume of molten metal heated in a batch; calculation unit: tonne/batch.

3. “thermophysical waste heat” refers to the heat contained in the exhaust gas.

4. “thermochemical waste heat” refers to the heat generated during the combustion of exhaust gas.

5. “flat bar” refers to a flatted steel.

6. ‘long steel” refers to steel products including bars, round bars, wire as well as types of steel structural sections.

7. “coke” refers to fuel generated by heating bituminous coal in the absence of air.

8. “sintering” refers to the process of compacting iron ore which is no more than 8 mm in size as raw materials for ironmaking by blast furnace.

9. “blast furnace" refers to a vertical shaft furnace used to produce cast iron from iron ore.

10. “converter” (or basic oxygen furnace) refers to a furnace used to produce steel from molten cast iron by blowing oxygen.

11. “electric arc furnace” refers to a furnace used to produce steel by means of an electric arc.

12. “induction furnace” refers to a furnace used to produce steel in which heat is applied by induction heating (based upon electromagnetic induction) to melt the metal.

13. “hot rolling” refers to the process of rolling metal in which the temperature of the metal rolled is above its recrystallization temperature.

14. “cold rolling” refers to the process of rolling metal in which the temperature of the metal rolled is below its recrystallization temperature.

Chapter 2

TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUTION OF CAST IRON AND STEEL

Article 4. General requirements

In addition to compliance with regulations herein, design and establishment of cast iron manufacturers and steel manufacturers specified in Clause 1 Article 1 herein must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Comply with provisions of the law on investment, construction and management of work quality.

2. Technology and equipment used in such manufacturers must ensure synchronism and confirm to provisions of the law on effective and economic use of energy.

3. Ensure safety of fire and explosion prevention

4. Comply with national technical regulations and standards for environmental protection.

Article 5. Regulations applied to coke manufacturers

Every coke making manufacturer must:

1. apply mid-furnace feeding technology.

2. produce at least 350,000 tonnes of coke per year.

3. have a system for recovering waste heat (thermophysic and thermochemistry) as materials to produce steam or generate electricity or other purposes

Article 6. Regulations applied to sintering facilities

Everysintering facility must:

1. have a sintering area of at least 90 m2.

2. have a system for material drying before sintering.

Article 7. Regulations applied to cast iron manufacturer by blast furnace

Every cast iron manufacturer by blast furnace must:

1. ensure the effective volume of the blast furnace is at least 1,000 m3 in coastal areas and at least 700 m3 in other areas.

2. ensure such blast furnace consumes no more than 14,000 MJ to produce 1 tonne of cast iron, in which the coke consumption is not greater than 450 kg per tonne of cast iron (the energy consumed is determined according to guidelines provided in Appendix I and III issued thereto).

3. ensure the temperature of hot air blown into the blast furnace is at least 1,100 Celsius degrees.

4. have a system for recovering waste heat (thermophysic and thermochemistry) as materials to produce steam or generate electricity or other purposes.

Article 8. Regulations applied to steel manufacturers by converter

Every steel manufacturer by converter must:

1. ensure the furnace size is at least 70 tonnes/batch in coastal areas and at least 50 tonnes/batch in other areas.

2. have a continuous casting line.

3. have a system for recovering waste heat (thermophysic and thermochemistry) as materials to produce steam or generate electricity or other purposes.

Article 9. Regulations applied to steel manufacturers by electric arc furnace

Every steel manufacturer by electric arc furnace must:

1. have a system for material drying using exhaust gas generated by the furnace.

2. apply hi-technology for producing slag and bolstering steelmaking process by oxygen combustion ore and other fuels.

3. ensure the roof, shell and electrodes of the furnace are cooled by water and such furnace must have a sprinkler system to cool its electrodes.

4. ensure the molten steel is spouted from the eccentric bottom of the furnace.

5. ensure the furnace could produce at least 70 tonnes of steel each batch.

6. ensure the furnace could transform at least 800 kVA into heat for production of 1 tonne of steel.

7. have a system for activated carbon sprinkling placed in front of the fabric dust collector.

8. have a ladle refining furnace and a continuous casting machine.

9. ensure such furnace consumes no more than 2,600 MJ to produce 1 tonne of steel billet, in which the electricity consumption is not greater than 420 kWh (the energy consumed is measured according to guidelines provided in Appendix II and III issued thereto).

Article 10. Regulations applied to steel manufacturers by induction furnace

Every steel manufacturer by induction furnace must:

1. ensure the furnace could produce at least 50 tonnes of steel each batch.

2. have a system for recovery and treatment of exhaust gases.

3. have a system for material drying using exhaust gases generated by the furnace.

4. have a ladle refining furnace and a continuous casting machine suitable for the capacity of the induction furnace.

5. ensure such furnace consumes no more than 3,000 MJ to produce 1 tonne of steel billet, in which the electricity consumption is not greater than 580 kWh (the energy consumed is measured according to guidelines provided in Appendix II and III issued thereto).

Article 11. Regulations applied to steel rolling facilities

1. As for facilities rolling flat bars

a) Every facility performing hot rolling of flat bar must:

ensure the capacity of the rolling line is at least 1,000,000 tonnes/year.

b) Every facility performing cold rolling of flat bars must:

- ensure the flat bar undergoing cold rolling has the width of at least 1,000 mm and the capacity of the cold rolling line is at least 500,000 tonnes/year.

- ensure the steel undergoing cold rolling has the width of smaller than1,000 mm and the capacity of the cold rolling line is at least 200,000 tonnes/year.

2. As for facilities rolling long steel

ensure the capacity of the rolling line is at least 500.000 tonnes/year.

Chapter 3

ENVIRONMENT REGULATIONS

Article 12. Regulations on exhaust gas treatment

Steel manufacturers and cast iron manufacturers specified in Clause 1 Article 1 herein must recover and treat exhaust gases under national regulations QCVN 51:2013/BTNMT on exhaust gases from steelmaking industry which is issued together with Circular No.32/2013/TT- BTNMT dated October 25, 2013 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment on national technical regulations on environment.

Article 13. Regulations on solid waste treatment

1. Steel manufacturers and cast iron manufacturers specified in Clause 1 Article 1 herein must recover and treat solid waste under national regulations QCVN 07:2009/BTNMT on hazardous waste threshold which is issued together with Circular No.25/2009/TT-BTNMT dated November 16, 2009 and national regulation QCVN50:2013/BTNMT on hazardous waste threshold applied to mud generated from water treatment which is issued together with Circular No.32/2013/TT-BTNMT.

2. Slags and dusts collected from the process of producing steel and cast iron must be processed or recycled in order to conform to environment regulations.

Article 14. Regulations on wastewater treatment

Steel manufacturers and cast iron manufacturers specified in Clause 1 Article 1 herein must recover and treat wastewater under national regulations QCVN 52:2013/BTNMT on wastewater from steelmaking industry which is issued together with Circular No.32/2013/TT- BTNMT.

Chapter 4

RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS

Article 15. Responsibilities of organizations and individuals investing in the project

1. When preparing the project for investment in establishment of steel manufacturers and cast iron manufacturers specified in Clause 1 Article 1 herein, the organization or individual (the investor) must provide a representation about technology and equipment used in such project in conformity with regulations herein and send it to the competent authority for inspection and certificate issuance as per provisions of the law on investment.

2. If the project is approved to be run, the investor shall send a report on the implementation result according to the one provided in Appendix IV issued thereto to the Heavy Industry Administration, Ministry of Industry and Trade and Department of Industry and Trade before January 31 each year.

Article 16. Responsibilities of the inspection authorities issuing the certificate of eligibility for investment

Before carrying out inspection to issue the certificate of eligibility for investment, the inspection authority competent to issue the certificate of eligibility for investment in establishment of steel manufacturers and cast iron manufacturers specified in Clause 1 Article 1 herein shall send the project dossier to the Department of Industry and Trade (Ministry of Industry and Trade) in order to ask for opinions about technology and equipment used in the project.

Article 17. Responsibilities of stage management agencies

1. The Heavy Industry Administration and Ministry of Industry and Trade shall take charge and cooperate with relevant agencies in providing guidelines, carrying inspection and implementing this Circular.

2. Departments of Industry and Trade of provinces and centrally-affiliated cities which are contact points between central and local government authorities shall take charge of providing guidelines and checking the implementation of this Circular. And send a report on the implementation result to the Ministry of Industry and Trade before January 31 each year.

Chapter 5

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 18. Effect

1. This Circular comes into force from June 01, 2014.

2. If legislative documents or national technical regulations mentioned in this Circular are amended or replaced, the amended or replaced ones shall prevail.

3. Should any question arise during implementation, relevant entities shall timely inform the Ministry of Industry and Trade for amendment.

APPENDIX I

METHODS FOR DETERMINING SPECIFIC ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN IRONMAKING BY BLAST FURNACE
(Issued together with Circular No.03/2014/TT-BCT dated January 25, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade)

The specific energy consumption in ironmaking shall be determined by applying the formula below:

Where:

TNl : Specific energy consumption per tonne of molten cast iron (MJ);

αđ: coefficient for energy unit conversion (from kW to MJ);

Eđ: total electric power consumed per tonne of molten cast iron (kWh);

αi, αj, αk, αh: coefficients for energy unit conversion (MJ) (converted values are specified in Appendix III issued thereto);

Mi: mass of solid fuel consumed per tonne of molten cast iron (kg);

Vj: volume of liquid fuel consumed per tonne of molten cast iron (l);

Vh: volume of gases consumed per tonne of molten cast iron (Nm3);

Vk: amount of gases recovered to be used as fuel (Nm3).

APPENDIX II

METHODS FOR DETERMINING SPECIFIC ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN STEELMAKING BY ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE AND INDUCTION FURNACE
(Issued together with Circular No.03/2014/TT-BCT dated January 25, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade)

The specific energy consumption in steelmaking by electric arc furnace shall be determined by applying the formula below:

Where:

TNl : specific energy consumption per tonne of molten cast iron (MJ);

αđ: coefficient for energy unit conversion (from kW to MJ);

Eđ : total electric power consumed per tonne of molten cast iron (kWh);

αi, αj, αk, αh: coefficients for energy unit conversion (MJ) (converted values are specified in Appendix III issued thereto);

Mi: mass of solid fuel consumed per tonne of molten cast iron (kg);

Vj: volume of liquid fuel consumed per tonne of molten cast iron (l);

Vh: volume of gases consumed per tonne of molten cast iron (Nm3);

Vk: amount of gases recovered to be used as fuel (Nm3)

APPENDIX III

COEFFICIENTS FOR ENERGY CONVERSION
(Issued together with Circular No.03/2014/TT-BCT dated January 25, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade)

APPENDIX IV

REPORT FORMS APPLIED TO STEEL MANUFACTURERS AND CAST IRON MANUFACTURERS
(Issued together with Circular No.03/2014/TT-BCT dated January 25, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade)

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