On Monday, the employees of DZ Koksovňa commemorated the 60th anniversary of the start of coke production. After watching the excellent comedy of the Košice City Theatre Old Ladies together, they moved to the Slávia café for a glass of wine.
The evening was opened by the director of DZ Oto Viszlay. He welcomed general manager Marek Lukačín, GM representative Marek Jenčo, colleagues from primary production Michal Janok, Róbert Tóth, Peter Balog and trade union chairman Jozef Greško. Later, the celebrating coke plants were joined by Vice President Operation Marcel Novosad and Acting President Mike Piekut. He addressed a special thank you to the former directors of DZ Koksovňa, who accepted the invitation to this ceremony: Milan Fedor, Anton Kántor and Ján Petko.
He also welcomed and thanked the key suppliers of the plant, who participated in the implementation of all projects and the progress of DZ Koksovňa for 60 years. The ceremony was attended by representatives of RHI Magnesite ČR, Hutní Projekt Frýdek Místek, Hutné Montáže Košice, Witkovitz Slovakia, Termostav Mráz Košice and Dominion Novocos Germany.
The plant has undergone major changes
"In its 60-year history, the coking plant has undergone several important modernization changes. They mainly concerned projects in the field of greening the production of coke and coke chemical products. No less important were the projects aimed at increasing the reliability of the processes of coal charge preparation, coke oven production, coke oven gas processing and phenol-ammonia water treatment.
In order to reduce emissions and improve the quality of blast furnace coke and the productivity of coke oven batteries, over the past 15 years, the entire heating walls, including the regenerators on Block B, have been rebuilt and all head parts on Block A and C of the large-capacity coke oven battery No. 3 have been repaired. In order to reduce emissions of solid pollutants during coke extinguishing, the modernization of the fire tower No. 3 and the extension of the fire tower No. 1 were carried out.
In recent years, we have carried out a general overhaul of coke oven gas extraction pipes in the coke production plant associated with the replacement of collection trays on all 3 blocks of the large-capacity coke oven battery No. 3.
A very important repair was also the overhaul of the guide car No. 1, including the track on the large-capacity coke oven battery No. 1 and the intermediate repairs of all fire extinguishing locomotives on both coke oven batteries.
Another important and huge environmental project was the construction of the Coke Oven Gas Desulphurization technological unit, which was put into operation in 2010.
In the last ten years, in the Chemistry and Coke Oven Desulphurization plant, we have focused mainly on the completion of the 4th ammonia repeller, modernization of the high-pressure boiler, installation of process water compressor coolers, GO ammonia scrubber, medium repairs of ammonia repellers and wolf exchangers on the Benzolka operating set.
Currently, in accordance with the EU policy on greenhouse emissions, together with our colleagues from Nippon Steel, we are working on a new strategy for our Košice ironworks. Our plant is also part of this process, which will remain part of the classic blast furnace process of iron production in the coming years," said Oto Viszlay in his speech.
Acknowledgments to colleagues and employees
In conclusion, he thanked internal suppliers, customers and cooperating departments within U. S. Steel Košice, as well as all employees for many years of honest and dedicated work and family members for patience and support in the progress of the plant over the past 60 years.
As reported on this event by the Steel of the East on December 17, 1965
Flames and smoke over a coke battery
It was a joyful and exciting Sunday for the builders of the coke plant. The fitters made the final adjustments to the filling machine, then the gasification was fired and finally the historic moment came and the first 9,000 tons of coking coal were poured into the hot holes of the chambers of the first coke battery of the East Slovak Ironworks and the first battery in Slovakia ever.
Head of the Department of Metallurgical Investments, Otto Jirsák: "I have put into operation all the batteries in NHKG, but none of them has been like this yet. Jaroslav Koláček from Ostrava, one of the best experts in coking plants, whom we invited here two weeks ago for professional help, said that we finally have a battery in the republic on which we can boldly bring any foreign delegation."
This is no exaggeration. The builders and fitters did a really good job. Jaroslav Nehybka's team from Termostav, which laid more than 20,000 tons of fireclay bricks, jointed all 100 chambers as if for an exhibition. Not even the slightest crack anywhere.
. . .
The minutes flew by. At exactly 4 p.m., the head of the coke battery, Ľubomír Vlček, who had already instructed master Július Lešek, instructed the engineer of the filling wagon, Michal Geno, and his assistant Michal Rybár to fill the first chamber.
Before the flame and smoke burst out of the risers, Michal Beca followed the old metallurgical custom. The hat of the production and technical deputy and others went to the glowing opening of the chamber so that the battery would serve well.
The filling of the coke battery continued. It takes an average of 20 minutes to fill one chamber. Of course, we did not wait for all 50 chambers to be filled. That ended sometime after midnight. The coal mixture in the first batch is fired for over 30 hours. The next ones are only twenty and lower.
....
The crews of the operating machines experienced exciting moments on Tuesday morning. The same as they experienced on Sunday on the filling machine. It was half past eight when the printing machine pulled up at the chamber. The movement of the lever and the chamber door are open. Another movement, the machine moved three chambers further and the discharge rod slowly moved into the hot opening of the chamber.
At the same time, on the other side, the guide vehicle, which is connected to the push signal, has opened the door and the first coke through the guide basket enters the fire truck. The honking of an electric locomotive and a fire truck enters the fire tower. Explosion when glowing coke meets water, clouds of steam.
...
The first coke is on the ramp and gradually more and more will be added. The hourly output of the coke battery is about 100 tons, 45,000 m3 of gas, from which the first tons of ammonium sulfate, crude benzene, sodium phenolate, sulfuric acid and other products for the chemical industry will be gradually produced in the chemical part.
The coke plant has started operation. Actually, a part of it, because the entire plant will have more than 90 buildings worth CZK 533 million.
Photo: Ján Kisucký
