Durinsday:


I speak as one who is very knowledgeable in Metallurgical Plant Design, who had worked in Ajaokuta Steel Company, and in other steel plants globally and especially one who knows about the feasibility study for the plant and it operations.

Awka/Onitsha is a poor choice if you consider the stoichometric equation of Iron and steel making and its mass and energy balances.

As an elementary example, Consider that
1. The density of Iron Ore (hematite) is over 5 times that of coal in Enugu, and 6 times more than lime in Mfamozing, and twice that of dolomite.

2. Iron is the main objective we want to extract, others are ancilliary reactants

3. The g/mol ratio of Iron in the Red-ox reactions for making Iron and steel is very high.

4. Itakpe has the highest deposits of Iron Ore in Nigeria

These are just the few basic technical justifications.

I do not know where you got your feasibility info from but I say your deposition is incorrect based on the few above points and also the fact that I studied the feasibility report of ajaokuta steel.

Its not emotion, its fact!

you are very funny. do you think you can cower me with technical sounds and razzmattaz?
i studied civil engineering myself, and i practiced for a while in Kaduna.
so calm down and communicate, dont start any patrick obiaboghom impersonation.
thanks.

egbojay:
Dat blast furnance Russia designed is an experimental model which was first mounted in no place but Nigeria. Pls author I would also like u to research which Professor gave critics on it. One hidden truth we d industrial chemist know about d blast furnance is dat it failed on its capacity to operate effective under instrumental design, analysis and heat retention. No govt can revive dat furnance. Instead a new model must be built one which has been operated bfor. Reference to dat d Japanese proposed bfor Russian stole into d whole white elephant project. In all it is good we start reviewing issues of industrialization. Especially uncaculated decisions

Egbojay, the BF is a very old technology. It is not any experimental model oo. I have been there and studied it. There is nothing rocket science in a blast furnace.

Am not sure you have all the information. We can revive that BF if we put the right people there and fund it.

Durinsday:


I beg to differ on your report of productivity of 1920! Please who wrote that report?

Which part of the steel plant has the productivity of 1920? Is it the 1.

Blast furnace (BF) which is almost completed and never produced 1 gram of Pig Iron? The waste slag from this plant would be used for filling roads and making cement, Dangote's Obajana would just be buying waste slag from Ajaokuta steel as raw material.

2. Or the steel making shop (SMS) capacity ~ 1.2Million Tons of liquid steel /year, which is also almost completed and has not produced 1gram is liquid steel? steel slag here would supply cement and construction firms with raw input.

These 2 primary units are at about 90% completion or more, but was left by the Russians due to our government's laxity.

Or is it the coking plant ( that makes coke as primary product and coal gas, coal tar, ammoniacal liquor, bitumen as by-products),

Or lime stone plant ( that makes lime, Carbon dioxide )

Or sintering plant,

Or Air Separation plant ( that makes major industrial gases Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, Argon etc),

Or Rubberizing plant that makes all the conveyor belts, and everything rubber there),

Or Foundries that would make all steel cast parts for the plant whole nation like engine blocks, valves etc

Or is it now the Rolling Mills that was the functioning part buying billets from abroad because the SMS was not yet casting liquid steel? The rolling mills were making wire rods& binding wires 5.5mm to 12mm diameter(wire rod mill~ 200,000 Tons/yr), Light Section Mills( LSM) ~ 400,000Tons/yr producing reinforced iron rods up to 25mm, angle bars, channels, I-beams, profiles etc all light gauge., Medium Section and Structural Mills (MSSM) ~ 400,000 tons/year capacity producing heavy gauge and standard gauge rail lines ( for all our railway dreams), heavy gauge I-beams, channels, H-Beams, equal and unequal angle bars, flat bars etc (for offshore rig construction, sky scrappers), the Billet Mill that makes billets from blooms for export as industrial secondary input.

Only the LSM and WRM were working by buying billets from Ukraine and rolling out tons of reinforcement rods between 2004- around 2008. They were making tons of money under the Indians too, who were also running their agenda.

These mills were producing well, so WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY PRODUCING LIKE 1920s?

Besides steel technology worldwide is still using 1900s basic technology. The best you can do is automation to innovate, but the steel beneficiation technology is same worldwide. Go and study it.

Do we even mention the thermal power plant/ turbo blower station ( TPP/TBS); steam plant delivering over 200MW to the national grid? In Ajaokuta people cooked with electric stoves because the power plant was supplying electricity for the plant 24/7. All that power generated by waste heat (dry steam)from just 2 rolling mills' pre-heating furnaces. If the blast furnace and steel making shop and other plants were working, they would generate enough steam to generate over 1500MW; steam by the way used to cool the plant walls!

About cost of steel in Europe versus Ajaokuta, can you compare where we have all our raw materials sitting in one country plus natural gas to improve the efficiencies of processes versus in europe that has already been hyper mined and need to bring in raw materials from abroad? Tata steel ( formerly British steel and corus) has almost closed out, only section working is railway plant because britain needs rail for maintaining her 20,000 miles of railtrack. Its expensive to make steel there because natural gas and electricity is not cheap there plus iron ore, dolomite, lime, coal is not cheap there too.

LET US GET AJAOKUTA BACK ON TRACK!

You no won hear word! The Chinese are dumping steel. Nationlistic zeal trumps economic pragmatism

Malawian:

you are very funny. do you think you can cower me with technical sounds and razzmattaz?
i studied civil engineering myself, and i practiced for a while in Kaduna.
so calm down and communicate, dont start any patrick obiaboghom impersonation.
thanks.

I am an experienced Metallurgist and Materials Engineer. I make Iron and Steel and other metals,alloys and engineering materials for a living. I am not trying to cower you. I am teaching you. Try to listen and you may learn a few.

grandstar:


You no won hear word! The Chinese are dumping steel. Nationlistic zeal trumps economic pragmatism

The chinese are making cheap, mostly poor quality steel. Some chinese companies are making a few good grades.

Where are they dumping it? Is Nigeria not one of them? We can define our national steel demand in profiles, import billets from abroad and use our rolling mills first to meet that national demand. Then restrict the importation of finished steel profiles by hiking the import duties on them. That would provide at least 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. Thats the beauty of backwards integration. We would be making money and improving the economy. This is what was happening in 2004 -2008 except for the hike in import duties.

That way we cut off the chinese dumping while we raise money to build the primary units.

China is dumping cheap steel yet US, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Korea are still producing steel. Have you thought of that? What those countries did is akin to what I am proposing, they scaled their production, and made policies to safe-guard existing plants.

We Nigerians need to be thinking and working like them too. We dont just sit back and cry.

Have you thought about us exporting to Ghana and west Africa just like Innoson is sending in a few cars to Ghana.

Its not national zeal, its rational thinking with a sprinkling of economic pragmatism.

Durinsday:


I am an experienced Metallurgist and Materials Engineer. I make Iron and Steel and other metals,alloys and engineering materials for a living. I am not trying to cower you. I am teaching you. Try to listen and you may learn a few.

bros, i cant argue with you technically in your field, just as i can drop a few civil engineering lingo, and you rush to google.

the location of the steel plant is neither within our fields, those in the know advised it be built in anambra state, the FG decided in their wise man wisdom to take it to kogi state. that is what we are arguing here and not molar mass or specific density.

meanwhile, what do know as Hardy Cross Process?
dont google it

Malawian:

bros, i cant argue with you technically in your field, just as i can drop a few civil engineering lingo, and you rush to google.

the location of the steel plant is neither within our fields, those in the know advised it be built in anambra state, the FG decided in their wise man wisdom to take it to kogi state. that is what we are arguing here and not molar mass or specific density.

meanwhile, what do know as Hardy Cross Process?
dont google it

A metallurgical Engineer designs metallurgical plants and decides where to locate them based on everything I have been telling you awhile.

They are your "those in the know" and I am one of them.

Durinsday:


A metallurgical Engineer designs metallurgical plants and decides where to locate them based on everything I have been telling you awhile.

They are your "those in the know" and I am one of them.

the design and construction of that plant is a civil engineering job. cappish.
next thing now, you will say that a doctor is responsible for desgning and building a hospital because he is "in the know".
why do you think civil engineers take courses in practically all field of human endeavour?

or maybe didier drogba will design and build a football stadium. looks like you have lost the arguement.

Malawian:

the design and construction of that plant is a civil engineering job. cappish.
next thing now, you will say that a doctor is responsible for desgning and building a hospital because he is "in the know".
why do you think civil engineers take courses in practically all field of human endeavour?

Try to understand the basics.

Metallurgical plant design is primarily designing the process from equations ( that i have earlier mentioned) before putting in geometry.

Please my dear civil engineer, could you please answer the following basic process plant design questions to make 1 ton of pig Iron:

1. How many moles ( or kgs if you like) each of dolomite, coke, natural gas, Iron ore ( hematite at 64% value) would make 1 ton of liquid pig Iron held at a carbon content of ~ 4% in a blast furnace?

2. At what temperature would you hold the furnace and for how long would it take to make 1 ton of liquid pig iron.

3. Which refractory would you use to line the furnace for optimal furnace life? CaO, Al2O3, SiO2? Which flux would you choose per refractory?

4. How many tons of water would cool the furnace shell at process temperatures without cracking?

5.what Fe:C ratio would you use to improve productivity of 1 ton of pig Iron in less time?

6. What furnace size, shape and geometery of tuyeres would improve your tapping practice for 1 ton of pig iron.

When we finish all these design calculations, we draw the plant and call the civil engineers to come and cast the foundation of the blast furnace according to our specifications and we supervise the assembly ok?

You seem to be a green horn in engineering too.

Process design is calculations from mathematics and chemical/physical equations and NOT construction.

Civil engineering design is different from plant/process design. In constructing the plant, a civil engineer/structural engineer only starts designing structural frames to assemble the plant. Would this H or I beam have enough tensile strenght? Bending moments of any beams, columns or trusses etc for the construction. Compressive strenght of cast structures etc. They dont know how to design a metallurgical process plant ok?

I think you need mentorship from an experienced senior in your engineering study. You do not even seem to know what design is and how the various arms of engineering collaborate.

Durinsday:


Try to understand the basics.

Metallurgical plant design is primarily designing the process from equations ( that i have earlier mentioned) before putting in geometry.

Please my dear civil engineer, could you please answer the following basic process plant design questions to make 1 ton of pig Iron:

1. How many moles ( or kgs if you like) each of dolomite, coke, natural gas, Iron ore ( hematite at 64% value) would make 1 ton of liquid pig Iron held at a carbon content of ~ 4% in a blast furnace?

2. At what temperature would you hold the furnace and for how long would it take to make 1 ton of liquid pig iron.

3. Which refractory would you use to line the furnace for optimal furnace life? CaO, Al2O3, SiO2? Which flux would you choose per refractory?

4. How many tons of water would cool the furnace shell at process temperatures without cracking?

5.what Fe:C ratio would you use to improve productivity of 1 ton of pig Iron in less time?

6. What furnace size, shape and geometery of tuyeres would improve your tapping practice for 1 ton of pig iron.

When we finish all these design calculations, we draw the plant and call the civil engineers to come and cast the foundation of the blast furnace according to our specifications and we supervise the assembly ok?

You seem to be a green horn in engineering too.

Process design is calculations from mathematics and chemical/physical equations and NOT construction.

Civil engineering design is different from plant/process design. In constructing the plant, a civil engineer/structural engineer only starts designing structural frames to assemble the plant. Would this H or I beam have enough tensile strenght? Bending moments of any beams, columns or trusses etc for the construction. Compressive strenght of cast structures etc. They dont know how to design a metallurgical process plant ok?

I think you need mentorship from an experienced senior in your engineering study. You do not even seem to know what design is and how the various arms of engineering collaborate.

you are just beating about the bush.

Malawian and Durinsday...Oh puleaseee!!
Ajaokuta Steel Complex has been sited at its present location. Deal with it. After all Kaduna refinery is at Kaduna and there's not even a producing oil well for miles around!!

@Cooljade I'm following you on Facebook. The promise of at least 10 000 direct and indirect jobs would really mean a lot to the youths. Let's revive the steel complex and place a 1000% import duty on steel.

When are we matching to Aso Rock. I'm hungry for a walk.

Allwility:
Malawian and Durinsday...Oh puleaseee!!
Ajaokuta Steel Complex has been sited at its present location. Deal with it. After all Kaduna refinery is at Kaduna and there's not even a producing oil well for miles around!!

@Cooljade I'm following you on Facebook. The promise of at least 10 000 direct and indirect jobs would really mean a lot to the youths. Let's revive the steel complex and place a 1000% import duty on steel.

When are we matching to Aso Rock. I'm hungry for a walk.

@Allwility: thanks. Was having a good laugh off the uninformed lad and am pretty sorry its almost derailing this wonderful thread.

All in all, we need more hands on deck to revive the plant. I think it would better our country.

Kudos to Cooljade. Impressive work done so far.

cooljade:
I was told a post of this nature should be paid for . LIB and Sahara would post for free if it involves political or entertainment scandal . If I were a fellow minister or sitting governor, this piece would be front page.. but I am common unknown citizen, no buzz except by good minds like you.

Hello, I noticed your new petition was up, why don't you create a new thread & call the attention of the MOD to it.

For others here is the petition on change.org

https://www.change.org/p/president-buhari-immediately-terminate-arbitration-with-ispat-gshl-and-appoint-tpe-to-complete-ajaokuta-scl?recruiter=57114361&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-custom_msg


It's not enough to read, kindly click on the sign petition!!

cc:NavierStokes

harveyspec:


Hello, I noticed your new petition was up, why don't you create a new thread & call the attention of the MOD to it.

For others here is the petition on change.org

https://www.change.org/p/president-buhari-immediately-terminate-arbitration-with-ispat-gshl-and-appoint-tpe-to-complete-ajaokuta-scl?recruiter=57114361&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-custom_msg


It's not enough to read, kindly click on the sign petition!!

cc:NavierStokes

Goodevening bro, just as you have rightly advised, i think cooljade did start a thread earlier today on the new petition, I haven't found the time to read though. Will find the thread now and then respond in the best way that I can.
Kindest Regards
Navierstokes

cc: cooljade

veuttoutlemonde:
The OP has shown patriotism at its best, its a pity that many of our leaders are unpatriotic. Imagine how many years since this project started and it has not produced any steel. Like you said it is bogged down by international and local conspiracy. The steel market is worth billions of dollars thats why the Indians who see Africa as their market are sabotaging it. Buhari is a progressive, I think you should find a way to present this to him directly. God bless you.

I became aware of this thread after a request by cooljade to sign a form on above subject https://www.nairaland.com/2927406/buhari-petition-terminate-all-legal

After reading through her topics + facebookpage of carefully spun conspiratorial web spanning decades from foreigners and Nigerians i felt more convinced this contraption of a country may never work cos those that were empowered to put the country on the right track keep derailing her.

From what I read in one of cooljade posts there may be plans in the offing to sabotage present govt plans for ASCL:

cooljade : 12. Hajiya Maryam Uwais, President Buhari's Special Adviser for Social Protection Plan, is the legal counsel for GSHL (Indians).

Moderators, kindly stick this topic on frontpage so that nairalanders can read and sign the petition form.

Came across this piece today, words can't express how sad I was, may God bless cooljade and op.

Thank you so much dear friends. I wonder why our petition never made front page... can anyone help out?https://www.change.org/p/president-buhari-immediately-terminate-arbitration-with-ispat-gshl-and-appoint-tpe-to-complete-ajaokuta-scl?recruiter=57114361&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

We all owe ourselves a duty to perform, let's write articles and circulate it on social media. The pen is mightier than the sword