The investment and associated improvements contribute to cost efficiencies across the production process and further strengthen Outokumpu’s position as a leading stainless steel plate producer.
 
Outokumpu announced the investment plans in June 2010. The investment program entailed upgrades to the whole production process in Degerfors and increased the mill’s capacity by 30% to 155,000 metric tons.
 
Following the investments, the Degerfors mill can produce flatter plates with even better surface quality, and achieve improved and more efficient production processes with lower emissions. New installed equipment include for example a new walking hearth furnace, cold leveler, heat treatment batch furnaces, and associated quencher as well as an updated transfer bed.
 
Said CEO Mika Seitovirta: ”The Degerfors mill expansion project has been an important investment for Outokumpu as we foresee strong market potential for special plate. In addition to increasing our quarto plate production capacity, the investment significantly enhances our production quality and flexibility to meet customer needs.”
 
The plant in Degerfors is Outokumpu’s biggest production unit for stainless steel quarto plate. The mill manufactures the world’s highest share of products in specialty stainless grades. The investment is also expected to position Degerfors as the largest single stainless quarto plate mill in the world.
 
Outokumpu is the market leader in stainless steel quarto plate with a global market share of some 20%. Thick and wide individually rolled quarto plates are used in the pulp and paper sector, desalination plants, petrochemical and oil and gas industries. Bridges and general structural building components are  new product applications with rising demand in many countries.