News & Press Releases

Primetals Technologies has received the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) for its drives upgrade project with Algoma Steel, Inc. of Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. The hot strip mill’s master drives for the downcoiler were replaced with state-of-the art drives at Algoma Steel's direct strip production complex.

Primetals Technologies has obtained the final acceptance certificate (FAC) for a new type of continuous casting control on an Arvedi ESP casting and rolling line. The "LevCon Bender Anti-Bulging" process patented by Primetals Technologies was commissioned for the first time anywhere in the world. The mould level in the continuous caster is stabilized by means of a controlled oscillation in the distance between opposite rollers in the bending section. This new type of process reduces the "bulging" effect of the strand on the mould level at high speeds much more effectively than by simply controlling the mould level via the steel flow into the mould. For the first time ever, it is now possible to compensate mould level fluctuations with higher frequencies.

Metalloinvest has contracted with Primetals Technologies and consortium partner Midrex Technologies, Inc. to supply the new HBI Plant (HBI-4) at Lebedinsky GOK (LGOK). The plant will be located in Gubkin, Russia, and will be designed to produce 2.08 million metric tons of HBI per year. Its modern design features will ensure reduced energy consumption and environmental impact. Investment in the construction of the plant is estimated at over USD 600 million. The project will create 375 highly qualified jobs and is expected to become operational in the first half of 2025 (first product – December 2024).

Primetals Technologies and thyssenkrupp have signed an exclusive, worldwide cooperation agreement which sees both parties commit to bringing the innovative Sequence Impulse Process (known as SIP for short) technology to the market. The SIP technology has been developed by thyssenkrupp AT.PRO tec, a company of thyssenkrupp Materials Services, and is well established for use in foundry cupola furnaces. The underlying principles of this proven technology have been adapted and specifically tailored to the blast furnace process. To prove the technology, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe has installed the first ever full system on their blast furnace #1 at Schwelgern, Duisburg in Germany.

ArcelorMittal South Africa has placed an order with Primetals Technologies to supply cast-iron staves for the blast furnace at the company´s Newcastle, KwaZulu Natal works. The new staves incorporate several key features like the well-proven fixing system which eliminates bolt pull-out, a common cause of over-stressing of the cooling pipes leading to failure and coolant leakage into the furnace, as well as a variation of the patented and established anti-bending solution. This eliminates premature failure of the staves by preventing of corner deformation due to thermal effects. The design will result in a reliable, predictable production for the full campaign life of the blast furnace. Equipment will be ready to be shipped to the Newcastle site by mid-September 2021. ArcelorMittal South Africa are planning to install the staves in the second quarter of 2022.