John Cockerill’s Advanced ARP Technology Facilitates Successful Operation of Shagang’s Silicon Steel Pickling Waste Acid Regeneration Project

Leading the Environmental Transformation of the Steel Industry with Innovative Processes: John Cockerill’s Advanced ARP Technology Facilitates Successful Operation of Shagang’s Silicon Steel Pickling Waste Acid Regeneration Project!

Recently, the 2×9 m³/h fluidized bed acid regeneration unit project at Shagang’s cold rolling mill, for which we provided the core technology and integrated solution, has successfully passed final acceptance and commenced full operation. This project signifies that our technical expertise in high‑silicon waste acid regeneration has once again gained industry recognition, providing a globally leading practical example for environmental enhancement and resource recycling in silicon steel production.

The treatment of silicon steel pickling waste acid has long been a prominent challenge in the environmental processes of the steel industry due to its high silicon content, tendency to scale, large sludge volume, and difficulty in recovery. Leveraging our proprietary high‑silicon fluidized bed regeneration technology, our teams have successfully overcome these challenges through systematic innovation. The key technical advantages include:

• Robust Anti‑scaling Design: Through optimized reactor internal structure and an intelligent temperature‑control system, effectively inhibiting the deposition of silicon‑based substances and ensuring long‑term stable system operation.
• High‑efficiency Recovery Process: Adapted to the characteristics of high‑silicon, high‑viscosity waste liquor, with regenerated acid purity meeting the standards for direct reuse in silicon steel production.
• Significant Waste Reduction Effect: High‑temperature fluidized combustion achieves efficient decomposition of organics and suspended solids in the waste acid, resulting in a notable reduction in sludge output.
• Full‑process Intelligent Control: Integrated advanced automation system enables unattended operation, enhancing safety and energy‑efficiency management.

As the technology provider and engineering implementer for this project, our German and Chinese teams were responsible for full‑chain services from process design and supply of core equipment to installation and commissioning. Faced with multiple challenges such as a tight project schedule, complex process integration, and constrained on‑site conditions, our experts ensured high‑quality project delivery and successfully completed performance testing and final acceptance in December 2025, drawing on extensive experience in the steel industry and cross‑regional collaboration capabilities.

John Cockerill remains committed to promoting sustainable industrial development through technological innovation. The successful collaboration with Shagang not only demonstrates our technological leadership in the field of difficult waste‑acid treatment but also further solidifies our leading position in the steel environmental equipment market. After the project’s operation, it is expected to significantly reduce the customer’s annual waste‑acid treatment costs, decrease pressure from new‑acid procurement and solid‑waste disposal, and achieve a dual enhancement of economic and environmental benefits.

Moving forward, we will continue to deepen strategic cooperation with leading Chinese steel companies such as Shagang. By combining traditional process expertise with innovative technologies (Volteron®, JVD®, ARP), we will provide customers with comprehensive, efficient, and sustainable steel‑manufacturing solutions, jointly advancing the establishment of a sustainable manufacturing and circular economy system in the steel industry.