"Environmental regulations recently introduced in China aimed to reduce pollution and CO₂ emissions have motivated Chinese steelmakers to use a different manufacturing approach, with some converting their steel shops plants to electric arc furnace (EAF) technology, increasing the share of electrical steelmaking in comparison to blast furnace or basic oxygen furnace," Tenova said in a statement.

Tenova said the steelmaker has ordered Tenova’s Consteel Evolution plants, the next generation of its Consteel furnace technology. Consteel furnaces employ a continuous pre-heating and metallic charging system. The Evolution plants are a step forward in that they utilize new solutions to increase not only the amount of chemical energy used in the process, but the efficiency of that energy use, Tenova said.

Additionally, the new plants will employ Tenova’s Consteerrer system, which was developed in conjunction with ABB. The system uses ABB’s ArcSave electromagnetic stirring.