ArcelorMittal Wins Top Industry Awards for Innovation and Sustainability
10/21/2013 - ArcelorMittal is proud to announce that it has won two awards at the World Steel Association’s "Steelies."
The company won the ‘Innovation of the Year’ category for its automated steelmaking process in Dofasco, Canada, as well as the ‘Excellence in Sustainability’ award for Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL), a public–private partnership that aims to sustain, restore and protect fish, wildlife and habitat in the Great Lakes basin.
ArcelorMittal’s Dofasco plant in Canada won the innovation award in recognition of its KOBM Steelmaking Innovation through Automation project. This six-year project resulted in Dofasco now being home to the most automated basic oxygen furnace in the world.
The project began when ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s leadership challenged the steelmaking production unit to increase throughput of ultra-low carbon interstitial-free steel and advanced high-strength steels to meet future market demand. The project team quickly identified opportunities for improvement at the KOBM oxygen steelmaking vessel to address production bottlenecks and quality constraints.
Today, the KOBM steelmaking sequence is fully automated from the first oxygen blow to the end of steel tapping.
“To have the most automated basic oxygen furnace in the world and the first such furnace that does not require manual sampling of the hot metal is a tremendous achievement. Our team managed to reduce the health and safety risk, while improving production time and product quality through this six-year project. The work is testament to our focus on continuous improvement through collaboration and innovation, with a goal of remaining one of the most productive and efficient flat carbon steelmaking facilities in the world. Our Hamilton team is now supporting the implementation of this technology in plants throughout the ArcelorMittal group” said Sean Donnelly, VP manufacturing, ArcelorMittal Dofasco.
Sustain Our Great Lakes – excellence in sustainability winner
The Great Lakes project, which is the result of cooperation between ArcelorMittal USA, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Forest Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, was also a winner at the Steelies.
By leveraging funding, building conservation capacity, and focusing partners and resources on key ecological issues, the Great Lakes project has seen the programme’s partners work together over the long term to in pursuit of shared restoration and sustainability goals in both the USA and Canada.
“It is gratifying to receive recognition from the World Steel Association highlighting the progress the Sustain Our Great Lakes program has made through the leadership and involvement of all our partner organizations,” said Bill Steers, general manager, Americas communications and corporate responsibility at ArcelorMittal. “The collaboration and on-the-ground impact realized through this partnership continues to exemplify our belief that conservation of the Great Lakes watershed is critical to sustaining the strong and vibrant communities that embody the heart of the region.”
Maintaining the integrity of this resource is crucial to the sustainability of ArcelorMittal operations, since the company has nine facilities that sit along the Great Lakes basin. Water from the lakes is used in steel production, processing, and shipping of 26 million tons of raw materials annually.
The awards were presented at the World Steel Association’s 47th annual steel industry conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 9 October 2013.
The non-profit World Steel Association was founded in 1967, and today is one of the largest industry associations in the world, serving 170 company members representing 85% of the world’s steel production.
ArcelorMittal’s Dofasco plant in Canada won the innovation award in recognition of its KOBM Steelmaking Innovation through Automation project. This six-year project resulted in Dofasco now being home to the most automated basic oxygen furnace in the world.
The project began when ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s leadership challenged the steelmaking production unit to increase throughput of ultra-low carbon interstitial-free steel and advanced high-strength steels to meet future market demand. The project team quickly identified opportunities for improvement at the KOBM oxygen steelmaking vessel to address production bottlenecks and quality constraints.
Today, the KOBM steelmaking sequence is fully automated from the first oxygen blow to the end of steel tapping.
“To have the most automated basic oxygen furnace in the world and the first such furnace that does not require manual sampling of the hot metal is a tremendous achievement. Our team managed to reduce the health and safety risk, while improving production time and product quality through this six-year project. The work is testament to our focus on continuous improvement through collaboration and innovation, with a goal of remaining one of the most productive and efficient flat carbon steelmaking facilities in the world. Our Hamilton team is now supporting the implementation of this technology in plants throughout the ArcelorMittal group” said Sean Donnelly, VP manufacturing, ArcelorMittal Dofasco.
Sustain Our Great Lakes – excellence in sustainability winner
The Great Lakes project, which is the result of cooperation between ArcelorMittal USA, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Forest Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, was also a winner at the Steelies.
By leveraging funding, building conservation capacity, and focusing partners and resources on key ecological issues, the Great Lakes project has seen the programme’s partners work together over the long term to in pursuit of shared restoration and sustainability goals in both the USA and Canada.
“It is gratifying to receive recognition from the World Steel Association highlighting the progress the Sustain Our Great Lakes program has made through the leadership and involvement of all our partner organizations,” said Bill Steers, general manager, Americas communications and corporate responsibility at ArcelorMittal. “The collaboration and on-the-ground impact realized through this partnership continues to exemplify our belief that conservation of the Great Lakes watershed is critical to sustaining the strong and vibrant communities that embody the heart of the region.”
Maintaining the integrity of this resource is crucial to the sustainability of ArcelorMittal operations, since the company has nine facilities that sit along the Great Lakes basin. Water from the lakes is used in steel production, processing, and shipping of 26 million tons of raw materials annually.
The awards were presented at the World Steel Association’s 47th annual steel industry conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 9 October 2013.
The non-profit World Steel Association was founded in 1967, and today is one of the largest industry associations in the world, serving 170 company members representing 85% of the world’s steel production.
