Outokumpu Oy, a Finnish steelmaker, issued Siemens VAI Metals Technologies in April with the final acceptance certificate for electric arc furnace no. 1 in the Tornio Stainless Steel Works. Siemens had equipped the furnace with a hydraulic system among other items. This has enabled the melting time to be reduced by around two minutes per melt, and the power consumption by some 20 kilowatt-hours per ton of liquid steel.

Outokumpu is one of the world’s leading producers of special stainless steels; its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland. The company has, in Finland, the world’s only fully integrated production chain for stainless steels. This includes chromium mining in Kemi and ferrochromium and stainless steel works in Tornio. Siemens installed a new hydraulic system, electrode lifting system for the carbon electrodes and current conducting electrode arms in electric arc furnace no.1 in the Tornio Works. The modernized hydraulic system reduces the melting time of the furnace by two minutes. This increases efficiency and productivity, and reduces operating costs. The furnace was also fitted with a new gantry to bring it up to a similar technical standard as electric arc furnace no.2, which was also supplied by Siemens. The modernization reduces energy consumption by a total of around 20 kilowatt-hours.