EVRAZ to Upgrade Pueblo Rail Operations
12/23/2011 - EVRAZ plans to upgrade its Pueblo, Colo., rail facility to improve product quality and operational efficiency, and expand head hardened rail manufacturing capacity.
EVRAZ plans to upgrade its Pueblo, Colo., rail facility, primarily focusing on product quality and operational improvements. The upgrades are also intended to expand head hardened rail manufacturing capacity.
The investment is scheduled to be complete by the first quarter of 2013 and will increase the mill’s total capacity by 10%, to almost 525,000 tonnes of premium rail annually. Improvements will be made in head hardening, quality, and straightness, and the facility’s labs will be upgraded to increase the rate of product development. EVRAZ will continue to supply steel for the rail facility from its adjacent steel mill, which recently received a permit to expand production capacity.
“As North American rail companies continually expand their networks, our customers are looking for world-class head hardened rail to enable more tonnage to travel over their lines at a lower total cost,” said Pavel Tatyanin, Senior Vice President, Head of International Business, EVRAZ. “Our Pueblo facility is ideally suited to help fill this need, both in terms of its geographic location as well as the manufacturing expertise of our local team.”
“Embarking on this investment in our rail operations would not be possible without the recent approval by the state of Colorado of our revised air permit,” said Mike Rehwinkel, President and CEO of EVRAZ North America. “This rigorous process has shown that we can produce world-class steel here in Colorado while being protective of the environment.”
EVRAZ Pueblo manufactures a comprehensive line of long products including head hardened rail, standard rail, premium rod, and high-quality coiled bar. It also produces seamless tube to support the expanding oil and gas sectors.
EVRAZ Group S.A. is a large vertically integrated steel, mining, and vanadium business with operations in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Europe, U.S., Canada, and South Africa. The company, which employs approximately 110,000 people, is ranked the 20th largest steel producer in the world based on crude steel production of 16.3 million tonnes in 2010. EVRAZ is largely self-sufficient regarding its iron ore and coking coal requirements with the majority of its internal consumption covered by its mining operations.
