China/Japan: Chinese customs have returned 14,100t of imported non-ferrous slag back to Japan the General Administration of Customs has said. The products were declared as iron oxide and iron powder, according to Reuters. However, they were found to be iron sludge and non-ferrous slag. These by-products have faced an import ban since the beginning of 2018.
Crude steel production rises by 4.1% in first quarter of 2018
Belgium: World crude steel production rose by 4.1% year-on-year to 427Mt in the first three months of 2018, according to data from the 64 countries reporting to the World Steel Association. Asia produced 294Mt of crude steel, an increase of 4.6%. The European Union (EU) produced 43.1Mt, up by 0.9%. North America produced 29.5Mt, an increase of 1.9%.
Voestalpine starts construction work on new steel plant in Kapfenberg
Austria: Voestalpine has held the official ground breaking ceremony for its new steel plant in Kapfenberg. Once operational in 2021 the new Euro350m plant will produce around 205,000t/yr of steel for the aviation, automotive and oil and gas sectors. The site is intended to replace the existing Voestalpine Böhler Edelstahl plant in Kapfenberg. The plant will use an electric arc furnace to melt down scrap combined with various alloy metals into special steels. It will operate using electricity generated from renewables.
Primetals Technologies completes supply of LD converter for ArcelorMittal Poland
Poland: Primetals Technologies has received a provisional acceptance certificate (PAC) from ArcelorMittal Poland for the replacement of the second LD (Basic Oxygen Furnace) converter at the Dąbrowa Górnicza steel works. The converter entered service in February 2018. It follows a previous project by Primetals Technologies to replace a converter at the site in 2016.
As in the case of Converter #1, Primetals Technologies supplied the vessel and the trunnion ring, including the Vaicon Link 2.0 suspension, for Converter #3. The converter bearings and the enclosure have also been renewed. The order included also removal of the existing vessel and assembly and installation of the new equipment. This had been handled by ZKS Ferrum, the Polish partner in the consortium.
ArcelorMittal Poland is the leading steel producer in Poland, operating six production plants in the south of the country. Its range of products includes profiles, rails, fittings for the construction, transport and mining industries, as well as flat products for the automotive industry and domestic appliances.
