Steel News

SMS Demag to Expand Ilsenburger Grobblech Heavy Plate Mill

01 August 2005 - Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH, Germany, has awarded SMS Demag AG a contract for a new ultra-fast cooling line and cold plate leveler with finishing facilities. The contract is worth 22 million €.

ThyssenKrupp Stahl Approved for Blast Furnace Installation

01 August 2005 - The Düsseldorf district authority granted approval to ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG for the construction of Blast Furnace No. 8. The investment is the centerpiece of a modernization program for the company’s hot metal base in Duisburg-Hamborn, which also includes the relining of nearby Blast Furnace No. 9. The 41-year-old Blast Furnace No. 4 will then be shut down and kept only as a back-up unit. The concept is to be implemented by 2008 at a total cost of €340 million.

General Steel Elects Two Independent Directors

01 August 2005 - General Steel Holdings, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high quality hot-rolled steel sheets primarily for use in tractors, agricultural vehicles and other specialty vehicles, announced that two independent Directors have been appointed to the Board of Directors. The appointments bring the total number of independent board directors at General Steel to three, in keeping with the company's goal of qualifying for a listing on a major U.S. exchange.

China Currency Revaluation a Positive First Step

22 July 2005 - The Metalworking Manufacturing Coalition (MMC) expressed cautious optimism following the announcement by China that it will revalue its currency for the first time in a decade, but urged the U.S. government to maintain pressure on the Chinese to work towards an even more flexible market-based currency system.

Timken Chairman to be Nominated U.S. Ambassador to Germany

20 July 2005 - The AIST Foundation has announced the 2005-2006 scholarship recipients for the following endowed scholarships.

Mittal Steel Included in Fortune Global 500

18 July 2005 - Mittal Steel Co. NV has been included for the first time in Fortune Magazine's Global 500 list, the ranking of the world's largest corporations.

Mittal Steel Submits Formal Offer to Purchase Vitkovice Steel

01 July 2005 - Mittal Steel Co. NV submitted a direct offer to the Government of the Czech Republic to purchase 98.96% shareholding in Vitkovice Steel.

VAI to Supply LD Converter Steel Plant for Alchevsk

01 July 2005 - Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co. (VAI) recently signed a contract with Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works (Ukraine), for the supply of a new steel plant. The facility will incorporate two 300-tonne LD converters, each capable of producing 5.4 million tonnes of steel per year.

VAI to Modernize Posco Pickling and Oiling Line

01 July 2005 - Voest Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH (VAI) received a contract from Posco, South Korea, to modernize a Pickling and Oiling Line in their Kwangyang works. The upgraded line will have an annual capacity of 800,000 tonnes of high quality sheet for direct sale in local and international markets.

Masteel Starts up Danieli H-Beam Mill

01 July 2005 - Maanshan Iron & Steel (Masteel), P.R. China, recently started operation of its new 500,000 tonne/year superflexible mill for the production of up to 400-mm H-beams (including ultra-light beams), I-beams and channels.

ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Orders Seventh Cold Mill from SMS Demag

01 July 2005 - ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali in Terni, Italy, has placed an order with SMS Demag AG, Germany, for the supply of a seventh 20-roll cold rolling mill for the manufacture of stainless steel strip.

Kobe Steel to Strengthen Disaster Recovery Measures

01 July 2005 - Kobe Steel, Ltd. will implement a disaster recovery plan that includes a real-time backup system for its computer systems. The plan will enable operations to continue with minimal disruption in the event of a disaster.

Posco to Construct Integrated Steelworks in India

01 July 2005 - Posco recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Orissa State government of India for construction of an integrated steelworks and development of a mine at Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa.

SMS Demag to Modernize Guangzhou Zhujiang CSP Caster

01 July 2005 - Guangzhou Zhujiang Steel Co., Ltd., P.R. China, has awarded SMS Demag AG, Germany, a contract to revamp the first strand of its CSP® (Compact Strip Production) facility.

CMI Group Acquires Majority Holding in UVK Group

01 July 2005 - The Belgian Group Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie (CMI), and UVK Group have signed a share purchase agreement. The agreement includes a majority share takeover by CMI.

SMS Demag Consortium to Expand Sidenor Meltshop

01 July 2005 - Sidenor SA, Spain, has placed an order with consortium leader SMS Demag, Germany, for the expansion of its existing electric meltshop. With the upgrade, the Sidenor will be able to expand its current production of high-quality steel to include the production of stainless steel.

Danieli to Supply Caster Furnaces and Breakdown Mill for Corus Scunthorpe

01 July 2005 - As part of Corus’ previously announced £130 million investment at Scunthorpe steelworks, Corus has placed a major contract with Danieli to install a new bloom caster and to develop the Rod Mill to accept direct-cast bloom feedstock.

SMS Demag Sells Blast Furnaces, Coking and DR Activities to Paul Wurth

15 June 2005 - SMS Demag AG, Germany, is selling the blast furnace, coking plant and direct reduction activities of SMS Demag SpA of Genoa, Italy, to Paul Wurth SA of Luxembourg, effective June 30, 2005.

Ebner to Supply Bell Annealer Facility for Zhenjiang Lonsen Steel Strip

01 June 2005 - Zhenjiang Lonsen Steel Strip Co., Ltd., P.R. China, recently placed an order with furnace builder Ebner Industrieofenbau, Austria, for a Hicon/H2® bell annealer facility. The new bell annealer will be installed at a new rolling mill near Hangzhou in the Zhejiang Province.

Anshan Isco Starts up VAI Slab Caster

01 June 2005 - Anshan Isco, P.R. China, recently started up its caster CCM1-New in fully-automatic mode. The project is part of Anshan’s plan to relocate the new steel plant No. 3 in two stages. The contract to build two twin-strand casters with a planned total capacity of approximately five million tonnes was awarded to VAI in 2003.