News & Press Releases

In September, the Arvedi ESP (Endless Strip Production) line at Acciaieria Arvedi in Cremona, Italy was restarted after a major upgrade. The modernization, performed by Primetals Technologies, included changes to the continuous casting machine, resulting in an increase of mass flow, and, consequently production capacity. The upgrade is the first step to raise the overall production capacity of the ESP line to 3 million metric tons per year. The measures undertaken will also improve product quality. All modernization work was carried out during planned shutdowns in December 2019 and August 2020, with the ESP line starting up 3 days ahead of schedule. In the first month of operation after re-starting, production exceeded previous levels.

thyssenkrupp Hohenlimburg GmbH has awarded Primetals Technologies an order to convert the existing cycloconverter drive systems to medium-voltage drive systems on stands 7 and 9 of its medium-wide hot strip mill in Hohenlimburg, Germany. The aims of the project are to replace the existing cycloconverter drive system while also increasing performance for future products. This was preceded by a joint analysis of the complete plant and a calculation to minimize the drive power actually required in order to optimize the investment budget.

Turkish steel producer Tosyali Demir Celik Sanayi A.S. has placed an order with Primetals Technologies to supply an EAF Quantum electric arc furnace, a twin vacuum-degassing plant with oxygen blowing and a two-strand slab caster for a flat steel greenfield project in Iskenderun, Turkey. The EAF Quantum is designed to handle metallic scrap and virgin materials such as HBI, pig iron in different composition and quality. The twin vacuum-degassing plant provides further treatment and steel quality to the production portfolio of Tosyali Demir Celik. Two-strand continuous slab caster provides a capacity of two million metric tons of slabs per year, to be increased to 3.4 million tons, and is able to process a wide range of steel grades.

In June 2020, Primetals Technologies successfully completed the online commissioning of the new software for optimizing the Level 2 process automation for the CCM1 continuous caster at Outokumpu’s plant in Tornio, Finland. The remote commissioning used empirical values gained from commissioning the similar CCM2 continuous caster at the same location in December 2019. As well as upgrading the process optimization software for the CCM2, Primetals Technologies also installed a TPQC (Through-Process Quality Control) caster system, which records all the quality data of the entire production process in a long-term archive.

Primetals Technologies has successfully revamped electrics and automation systems at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks of Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) in Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The electrics and automation systems of a RH degassing plant, a ladle furnace and the common alloy system were replaced with new versions. The RH plant and the ladle furnace were brought back into operation within only five months of order signing.