LIPETSK IRON AND STEEL PLANT NOVO LIPETSK, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B07179A000100470001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 11, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 1, 1978
• Content Type: REPORT

National Secret
Assessment
Center
Lipetsk Iron and Steel Plant
Novo Lipetsk, USSR
Basic Imagery Interpretation Report
IS 78-10153, RCS-13/0012/78
August 1978
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
National Foreign Assessment Center
Lipetsk Iron and Steel Plant Novo Lipetsk UR
UTM COORDINATES GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES 7TEGORY
NA 52-33-25N 039-38-22E
The Lipetsk Iron and Steel Plant is probably the third largest
integrated iron and steel plant in the Soviet Union. In 1974 it produced
4,000,000 tons of steel. 1/ Output increased to 8,500,000 tons in 1977. 2/
By comparison, in 1977 the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine produced
15,500,000 tons of steel and the Krivoy Rog Metallurgical Plant Lenin
produced 14,000,000 tons. 3,4/ The Soviets predict an annual output of
16,000,000 tons of steel at Lipetsk by 1990. 5/
Soviet sources indicate that the rolled steel products of the plant
include construction steel, sheet steel for the automobile industry,
steel plate for shipbuilding, steel for high-pressure pipe, and silicon
steel for electrical equipment. 1,6/
The plant began operation in 1934 but was destroyed during the
Second World War. Reconstruction began in 1949 and by 1951 the plant
was operating again. 7/ Lipetsk has undergone major expansion since
1972 with the construction of two coke oven batteries, a blast furnace,
a basic oxygen furnace building, and a rolling mill. This expansion
accounts for the doubling of steel production between 1974 and 1977.
At least one semidetached, one possible semidetached, and six detached
civil defense shelters are located at the plant. Four detached shelters are
located at nearby unidentified plants. These plants are probably associated
with the iron and steel plant.
This report consists of a discussion of the plant and a photograph keyed
to a table listing the plant's major facilities and civil defense shelters.
The information and judgments presented in this publication were derived
principally from analysis of imagery. Although information from other sources
has been included, this publication does not reflect an all-source assessment
and has not been formally coordinated within CIA.
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IS 78-10153
RCS-13/0012/78
August 1978
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3
LIPETSK
NORTHWEST
4 AIRFIELD
ELEV600
LIPETSK
' WEST
AIRFIELD
ELEV 610
1 J_ nta
'subsUtion
LIPETSK HEAT AND POWER PLANT
NOVO LIPETSK TETS
Chugunl /
LIPETSK IRON AND STEEL PLANT
NOVO LIPETSK
2 RCS-13/0012/78
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INTRODUCTION
The Lipetsk Iron and Steel Plant Novo Lipetsk is located on the
east bank of the Voronezh River in Novo Lipetsk, Lipetsk Oblast (Figure 1).
Extensive road and rail networks serve the plant and it is partially
wall secured. Its production areas occupy approximately 1,975 hectares.
Steam and power are provided by the colocated Lipetsk Heat and Power
Plant Novo Lipetsk TETS. The Lipetsk Tractor Plant is located immediately
west of the iron and steel plant. Also located nearby are several
unidentified industrial plants.
DISCUSSION
The Lipetsk Iron and Steel Plant Novo Lipetsk is probably the third
largest integrated iron and steel plant in the USSR, producing 8,500,000
tons of steel in 1977. 2/ During the same year the Magnitogorsk
Metallurgical Combine produced 15,500,000 tons of steel and the Krivoy
Rog Metallurgical Plant Lenin produced 14,000,000 tons. 3,4/
In April 1978, facilities at Lipetsk included a sintering plant
containing two sintering buildings (listed in the Basic Encyclopedia as
the Lipetsk Iron Ore Sintering Plant), eight coke oven batteries, five
blast furnaces, two basic oxygen furnace buildings, one electric furnace
building, and five rolling mills (Figure 2). Other facilities included
three pig iron casting buildings, a large coke byproducts plant, an air
separation plant, three lime plants, an iron foundry, a forge shop, two
ore processing plants, and three scrap metal processing buildings. A
blast furnace, a rolling mill, a probable air separation plant, and an
unidentified facility were under construction in April 1978. These
additions, along with the planned construction of a third basic oxygen
furnace building and two more electric furnaces, will help the Soviets
to reach their goal of 16,000,000 tons of steel production annually at
Lipetsk by 1990. 5,8/
Soviet sources indicate that the rolled steel products of the plant
include construction steel, sheet steel for the automobile industry,
steel plate for shipbuilding, steel for high-pressure pipe, and silicon
steel for electrical equipment. 1,6/
All components of the plant were operating when observed on photography
from 1972 to 1978.
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Civil Defense Measures
At least one semidetached, one possible semidetached, and six
detached civil defense shelters are located at the iron and steel plant.
Four detached shelters are located at nearby unidentified industrial
plants. These plants are probably associated with the Lipetsk Iron and
Steel Plant. Details regarding the shelters -- their type, size,
association with plant facilities, location by geographic coordinates,
and approximate construction date -- appear in Table 1 (Items 30-41) and
they can be located by item numbers on Figure 2.
There is no photographic evidence of efforts to protect or "harden"
production facilities within the plant. Hardening measures taken inside
buildings for the protection of equipment obviously would not be observable
on overhead photography. There are some revetted and some buried storage
tanks at the plant, but this is a normal safety measure.
Table 1. Major Facilities and
Civil Defense Shelters at Lipetsk Iron and Steel Plant Novo Lipetsk
(Keyed to Figure 2)
Roof Cover
Item Facilities (sq. m.) Remarks
Raw Materials Processing
1 Sintering plant Contains 2 sintering
buildings
2 Coke and coke Contains 8 coke oven
byproducts plant batteries and coke by-
products processing
equipment. Four
batteries use the dry-
quenching method for
cooling coke.
3 Lime plant Contains 2 rotary kilns
4 Lime plant Contains 3 vertical kilns
and 2 rotary kilns
5 Lime plant Contains 4 rotary kilns
6 Ore processing plant
and storage area
7 Ore processing plant
and storage area
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Item Facilities
Iron Production
8 Blast furnaces
9 Blast furnace under
construction
10 Pig iron casting
building
11 Pig iron casting
building
12 Pig iron casting
building
13 Iron foundry
14 Forge shop
Steel Production
15 Basic oxygen furnace
building
16 Basic oxygen furnace
building
17 Electric furnace
building
Roof Cover
(sq. m.)
Five blast furnaces -- two
1,260 cubic meter, two
2,000 cubic meter, one
3,200 cubic meter -- in a row
845 meters long. The 3,200
cubic meter furnace can
produce 6,400-7,000
metric tons of iron per
day. 6/
Midstage of construction
in April 1978. Volume of
3,200 cubic meters. 9/
Has 2 casting strands
Has 2 casting strands
Has 1 casting strand
Contains three 100-180
ton capacity furnaces.'
6,7,10/
Contains two or three
300-350 ton capacity
furnaces. 10,11/
Contains two 100-ton-
capacity furnaces. Also
contains continuous
casting equipment. 6,7/
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Item Facilities
Rolled Steel Production
Roof Cover
(sq. m.)
18
Rolling mill
18,215
19
Rolling mill
201,730
20
Rolling mill
170,265
21
Rolling mill
75,380
22
Rolling mill
80,845
23
Rolling mill
construction
under
102,535
section a
38,905
section b
17,130
section c
46,500
Miscellaneous
24 Air separation plant
25 Probable air
separation plant
under construction
26 Scrap metal processing
building
27 Scrap metal processing
building
28 Scrap metal processing
building
Power
29 Thermal power plant
Remarks
Contains continuous
casting equipment
Contains continuous
casting equipment
year. 12/
Midstage of construction
in April 1978. Probable
carbon steel cold-rolling
shop, which will eventually
produce 3,000,000 tons of
cold-rolled steel sheet a
Provides oxygen for blast
furnaces and basic oxygen
furnaces
8,025 Prepares scrap for use in
basic oxygen furnaces
15,735 Prepares scrap for use in
basic oxygen furnaces
17,200 Prepares scrap for use in
basic oxygen furnaces
Probably 300-350 megawatt
capacity
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Floor Space Geographic
(sq. m.) Coordinates
Construction
Dates
30
Detached
Coke production
500 52-33-19N
Between Sep 76 and
area
039-35-22E
Nov 77
31
Detached
Coke byproducts
380 52-33-48N
Between Sep 76 and
area
039-35-51E
Nov 76
32
Detached
Coke byproducts
570 52-33-44N
Between Sep 76 and
area
039-36-07E
Apr 78
760 52-33-27N
Before Nov 76
039-35-57E
34
Possible
Air separation
Undetermined 52-33-23N
Before Sep 75
semi-
detached
plant
039-36-31E
35
Semi-
Forge shop
190 52-33-36N
Between Sep 75 and
detached
039-36-47E
Nov 77
36
Detached
Unidentified
580 52-33-48N
Before Feb 75
with ramp building 039-36-56E
37
Detached
Unidentified
500 52-33-18N
Under construction
building
039-37-10E
in Apr 78
38
Detached
Unidentified
690 52-34-34N
Between Sep 76 and
building
039-38-56E
Apr 78
39
Detached
Unidentified
1,290 52-34-35N
Between Sep 75 and
building
039-39-24E
Nov 77
40
Detached
Unidentified
890 52-34-16N
Between Sep 75 and
building
039-39-35E
Apr 78
41
Detached
Unidentified
1,090 52-33-47N
Before Feb 75
with ramp building 039-39-18E
RCS-13/0012/78
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Imagery
All pertinent photography from July 1972 through April 1978 was
used in the preparation of this report.
Documents
1. CIA. IR 00-B-321/26489-74, Steelmaking Processes, 10 October 1974
(CONFIDENTIAL)
2. State. Airgram A-105, PER ssions of Li etsk: Life in the Provinces,
14 April 1978 (LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
3. "Weekly Economic Report", BBC Summar of World Broadcasts, Part 1,
The USSR, p. A15, 29 July 1977 UNCLASSIFIED
4. State. Airgram A-129, A Visit to the Ukrainian Steel Cities,
20 May 1978 (LIMITED OFFICIAL USE)
5. CIA. IR 00-B-321/20826-74, Current and Projected Production of
Steel, 14 August 1974 (CONFIDENTIAL
6. CIA. IR 00-B-321/34118-68, Production Facilities at the Novo Lipetsk
Metallurgical Works, 2 December 1968 (CONFIDENTIAL)
7. DOD. IIR 1 771 0391 66, Lipetsk Iron and Steel Plant Novo Lipetsk,
25 April 1966 (CONFIDENTIAL
8. Cordero, Raymond, Iron and Steel Works of the World, Metal Bulletin
Books Limited, 1974 (UNCLASSIFIED)
9. "Weekly Economic Report", BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, Part 1,
The USSR, p. A14, 20 May 1977 UNCLASSIFIED
10. Yevteyev, D. P. "Continuous Steel Casting During the Ninth Five
Year Plan", Metallurg, No. 3, March 1976 (UNCLASSIFIED)
11. Kazanets, I. P., "Basic Problems of Ferrous Metallurgy", Stal',
No. 9, 1977 (UNCLASSIFIED)
12. "Weekly Economic Report", BBC Summar of World Broadcasts, Part 1,
The USSR, p. A13, 8 July 1977 UNCLASSIFIED
COMIREX N03
Support Number 480805 EN
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The author of this paper is Economic Resources
Division, Office of Imagery Analysis. Comments -And queries are welcome
-10- RCS-13/0012/78
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