Severstal North America will resume modernization programs at its Severstal Dearborn, Mich., and Severstal Columbus, Miss., facilities so it can provide the “highest-quality products” to its customers.
“While we remain cautious about the market outlook, we are encouraged that the more positive trends we saw towards the end of last year are being sustained. These projects are critical to furthering Severstal North America’s leadership position in the production of innovative, high-quality light flat rolled products and strengthening our commitment to the North American steel market,” said Sergei A. Kuznetsov, Chief Executive Officer of Severstal North America.
Work will resume at Severstal Dearborn on the coupled pickle line and tandem cold rolling mill (PLTCM) and hot dip coating line (HDCL) for the production of automotive exposed hot dip galvanize and galvanneal coatings. The mill will provide Severstal Dearborn an expanded product capability, which will include dual phase, TRIP, and high-reduction interstitial free steel products delivered in widths up to 72 inches. The Dearborn facility will increase its total output of cold rolled sheet from 1.65 million tons to 2.1 million tons per year.
The new PLTCM equipment consists of a five-stand, six-high mill that links pickling and rolling in one line. The result, according to Severstal, will be a more cost-efficient mill with significant improvements in product quality capability for shape, gauge, surface characteristics, and mechanical properties. At the conclusion of this project, Severstal North America says that it will operate three of the seven combined pickling/tandem mills that exist in North America.
The primary PLTCM equipment provider is Mitsubishi-Hitachi Metals Machinery, Inc.
The HDCL is a new high-speed continuous line that applies a precise coating of either zinc or zinc alloy to the surface of the steel strip. The new hot dip galvanizing process equipment has been manufactured by Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie (CMI).
The future PLTCM and galvanizing facilities are located in adjacent buildings to minimize material handling requirements and improve delivery capabilities.
Work is also resuming at Severstal Columbus to complete its Phase II project, which will increase the plant’s crude steel capacity to 3.4 million tons, matching Columbus’ hot strip mill capacity. Phase II also is expected to increase the capacity of Severstal Columbus’ downstream operations by about 30 to 120% depending on the unit, including a continuous pickling line, batch annealing, temper mill, and continuous galvanizing line.
Products from Severstal Columbus are purchased primarily by the distributor, automotive, construction, and pipe and tube end markets.
The project includes a second electric arc furnace complex with a ladle metallurgy facility, vacuum degasser expansion, a second thin strip caster, a second shuttle-type tunnel furnace, and a second downcoiler at the hot mill. The finishing side expansion will feature the addition of a fourth pickle tank to the existing continuous pickle line/tandem mill, additional hydrogen batch annealing bases and furnaces, a push/pull pickle line, and a second galvanizing line.
The primary equipment suppliers are SMS, TMEIC, GE Power, ABB, Schust, Bricmont, Core, and Ebner.
The Dearborn and Columbus projects are expected to be completed in the second half of 2011 and 2012, depending on commissioning schedules of the respective units. The modernization projects were put on hold after steel demand and pricing fell in the fourth quarter of 2008.