Steel Times International Digital February 2022

INNOVATIONS

INDUSTRY NEWS

IRON ORE

PERSPECTIVES Q&A

Eleven pages of new products and international contracts

Nine pages of steel industry news from around the world

Vale discusses the use of robotics in its mining operations

Venkatesh Muthusamy and Forogh Askari of CANVASS have answers

Since 1866

www.steeltimesint.com Digital Edition - February 2022 - No.21

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CONTENTS – DIGITAL EDITION FEBRUARY 2022

INNOVATIONS

INDUSTRY NEWS

IRON ORE

PERSPECTIVES Q&A

Eleven pages of new products and international contracts

Nine pages of steel industry news from around the world

Vale discusses the use of robotics in its mining operations

Venkatesh Muthusamy and Forogh Askari of CANVASS have answers

Since 1866

www.steeltimesint.com Digital Edition - February 2022 - No.21

Front cover photo courtesy of Kocks.

2 Leader

by Matthew Moggridge.

Kocks RSB® 300++/4 in 5.0 design currently operating at Henan Jiyuan, China.

4 News round-up Nine pages of global steel news.

SSAB’S GREEN TRANSITION TAKES SHAPE...

EDITORIAL Editor Matthew Moggridge Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855151 matthewmoggridge@quartzltd.com Editorial assistant Catherine Hill Tel:+44 (0) 1737855021 Consultant Editor Dr. Tim Smith PhD, CEng, MIM Production Editor Annie Baker Advertisement Production Martin Lawrence SALES International Sales Manager Paul Rossage paulrossage@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855116 Sales Director Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855117

14 Innovations Eleven pages of new contracts and products from around the world.

32 Iron ore Robots boost Vale miners’ safety.

34 USA update Pundits wary of industry optimism.

36 India update Moving on up!

38 Decarbonisation Bringing forward the green transition

Managing Director Tony Crinion tonycrinion@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855164 Chief Executive Officer Steve Diprose

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41 Stainless and special steels Winds of change 46 Westminster conference Fairness over all.

50 Digitalisation Accurate data is crucial.

54 Africa A history of corruption proves hard to escape in Zimbabwe.

56 Perspectives Q&A: Canvass There are many reasons to use Al. 60 History ‘For Sale’ - Langley Mill Iron & Steel Works by Dr. Tim Smith

SUBSCRIPTION Jack Homewood Tel +44 (0) 1737 855028 Fax +44 (0) 1737 855034 Email subscriptions@quartzltd.com Steel Times International is published eight times a year and is available on subscription. Annual subscription: UK £215.00 Other countries: £284.00 2 years subscription: UK £387.00 Other countries: £510.00 3 years subscription: UK £431.00 Other countries: £595.00 Single copy (inc postage): £47.00 Email: steel@quartzltd.com Published by: Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX, England.

Tel: +44 (0)1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034 www.steeltimesint.com Steel Times International (USPS No: 020-958) is published monthly except Feb, May, July, Dec by Quartz Business Media Ltd and distributed in the US

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LEADER

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water

Matthew Moggridge Editor matthewmoggridge@quartzltd.com

There is an expression in the United Kingdom about waiting all day for a bus and then three coming along simultaneously.

Like a lot of things in the UK at present, it’s an annoying phenomenon that the English have to endure on a regular basis, normally when there’s heavy rain and they’ve forgotten their umbrellas. These days, however, the notion of ‘things’ coming along in threes’ (or fours) can be applied globally to geo-political events.

Generally speaking these ‘occurences’ are not good. In the UK, the first sign that life was taking a downwards turn was the Brexit vote back in June 2016. By November of that year Donald Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States and newspapers started to talk about the return of history. Trump wasn’t all bad. He never went to war and he provided the world’s media with a political figure they could poke fun at; where the steel industry was concerned, his Section 232 tariffs were manna from heaven for the American steel industry, which went from strength-to-strength soon after their introduction, following years of CVD and anti-dumping and discussing China at

global steel conferences. China, of course, was about to be centre stage again when COVID started its journey around the world and then, after a tumultuous couple of years of mask wearing, lockdowns and vaccinations, the era of Trump was halted by Joe Biden and, as we all know, it didn’t end well for the Donald. The world, however, sighed with relief as a more presidential figure entered the White House. The American steel industry continued on an upwards path – and is likely to do even better now that Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has been enacted. US Steel is building a ‘steel mill of the future’ in Blytheville, Arkansas, offering potential employees ‘average’ annual salaries of $100,000. Similarly, Nucor, also in Blytheville, is offering big money for entry level jobs at Nucor Steel and Nucor Yamato Steel. All is looking good, or rather it was, until Russia’s President Putin amassed troops on its border with Ukraine, threatening pig iron and slab supplies to the US and putting the world on tenterhooks once again. I thought Putin had more sense, but I am beginning to have serious doubts.

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South Korea’s oldest furnace in Pohang, the home city for steelmaker Posco, has shut down with plans to be turned into a public museum, signalling an end to a decades-long chapter of the nation’s manufacturing-driven industrial growth. While the steelmaker has eight other furnaces including five in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, it has announced it would inject 30 trillion won ($25.3 billion) to develop an eco-friendly hydrogen reduction steelmaking process by 2040 to power furnaces entirely with hydrogen and become carbon emission-free.

Source: The Korea Herald, 29 December 2021

NEWS ROUND-UP

Tata Steel has said it plans to investigate complaints that security guards at its plant in Port Talbot, Wales, were denied access to legitimate comfort breaks. Its assurance to take action comes after a media report, which said security guards at the plant’s main gates were disallowed toilet breaks during their 12-hour shifts and forced to ‘urinate in bottles’. Current and former guards have said their requests for cover to go to the toilet were ‘almost always’ declined. Guards working at the site are employees of Corps Security but answer to the head of security employed by the Tata company. Source: Eastern Eye, 13 January 2022

West Virginia Governer Jim Justice announced plans for a sheet steel mill in Mason County, with a record $2.7 billion investment from Nucor Corp. out of North Carolina. The mill is expected to be completed in 2024, bringing 800 ‘high-quality’ manufacturing jobs, along with an additional 1,000 for construction, according to a press release from Justice’s office. The Mason County mill will produce up to 3Mt of sheet steel per year for the automotive, appliance, HVAC, heavy equipment, agricultural, transportation and construction markets.

Source: The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, 13 January 2022

French steel pipe maker Vallourec has suspended its mining operations in Pau Branco, Brazil, after a safety incident resulting from heavy rainfall, which lead to the company being fined 45 million euros by authorities. Material from a waste pile associated with the operations of Vallourec’s Pau Branco mine slid into a rainwater dam, causing it to overflow, resulting in the interruption of traffic on the nearby highway. The company has announced intentions to legally challenge the fine.

Source: Investing.com, 12 January 2022

An unexpected outbreak of COVID in China and weak demand for stainless steel led market participants to begin their Chinese New Year break between one and two weeks earlier than the official 31 January-6 February public holiday. Workers and truck drivers in the steel industry were afraid that they would be required to undergo quarantines of 14 or 21 days after returning to their home towns if cases emerged in other regions. As such, they requested earlier holidays to avoid the risk of infection. Source: Metal Bulletin, 13 January 2022

German steel producer Klöckner & Co has announced its goal to achieve a 50% reduction in its scope 1 and 2 emissions – meaning emissions associated with the business itself, such as from company-owned vehicles and purchased energy – by 2030.

In the long term, Klöckner & Co additionally plans to reduce directly controllable emissions to net zero by 2040, which will enable the company to save some 90kt of carbon in its own emissions per year.

Source: Insider, 12 January 2022

POSCO is accelerating its commercialisation of lithium hydroxide by establishing a lithium extraction plant near a salt lake in Argentina. The company has announced that its board of directors approved an investment project to produce lithium hydroxide through the Salar del Hombre Muerto lake in northern Argentina. The total investment is around $830 million, including costs for infrastructure and operating funds.

Source: The Korean Times, 14 January 2022

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British Steel has announced the appointment of Building Design Northern architectural practice as the engineers of its major £26 million industrial development on Teesside. The new service centre will see the company bring to market an extended range of valueadded profiles for the forklift industry. Work on the new facilities is expected to start in late 2022 with commissioning around August 2023.

Source: The Northern Echo, 14 January 2021

NEWS ROUND-UP

The Indian steel industry has requested the government review the customs duty levied on some of the raw materials used by the sector as well as certain tax rules that will help create a levelplaying field for Indian steel manufacturers in the global arena. Ahead of the Union Budget 2022-23, the Indian Steel Association (ISA) has requested reduction of the basic customs duty on coking coal, nickel, plus a 1.5% agriculture cess since the availability of these input raw materials is very low.

Source: Business Day, 15 January 2022

Scaffolding workers at British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant have voted overwhelmingly to pursue their indefinite strike over poor pay. The 62 workers in the Unite union are employed by contractor Actavo and were on strike for 12 weeks last year, calling for the company to abide by national agreements covering the construction industry. The workers are currently between 10 and 15% below NAECI agreement rates. Strikes continue from 26 January following an 83% vote in favour.

Source: Socialist Worker, 17 January 2022

The head of Japan's main steel industry lobby has criticised the European Union's decision to extend anti-dumping measures on electrical steel from Japan, deeming it inappropriate, and announcing that it will consider taking action. During the expiry review proceedings by the European Commission, the Japanese steel industry claimed that revoking the anti-dumping measures would not lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to the industry in the EU, but the EU rejected Japan's claims.

Source: Reuters, 18 January 2022

Norway-based offshore ship-owner IWS Fleet has announced that the first steel had been cut in China for its Construction Service Operation Vessel (CSOV). The steel cutting ceremony was held at the China Merchants Heavy Industry facility in Jiangsu, China on 14 January .The walk-to-work vessel will be named IWS Skywalker, and start its first contract at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in summer 2023. The giant 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm is owned by SSE, Equinor, and ENI. Source: Marine Link, 17 January 2022

Australian researchers have announced the creation of a new way to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and convert it to solid carbon, which they believe could ultimately revolutionize the steel industry. Creating products such as cement and steel have traditionally involved pumping large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere and contributing greatly to climate change. The new technology, described in the latest edition of the journal Energy & Environmental Science, offers a way to ‘break down CO2 to carbon in an instant.’

Source: Macau Business.com, 18 January 2022

Digital Edition - February 2022

Eurometaux, a group which represents metal manufacturers and marketers, has written to Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, to press the EU to consider releasing strategic gas reserves and capping carbon prices to help support smelters. The financial strain caused by record gas and electricity prices has forced several big metal producers to curb output and mothball plants. Eurometaux suggested the use of strategic reserves to stabilise gas prices, capping the cost of carbon in the EU and the swift development of an emergency state aid framework allowing member states to take quick action. Source: Financial Times, 18 January 2022

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NEWS ROUND-UP

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• Two steelmakers were injured at a US Steel Works facility in suburban Detroit. Two company employees were hurt as a result of an explosion caused by a gas leak. The incident took place in the main plant boiler at the company’s Great Lakes Works in Ecorse. Source: US News, 19 January 2022

Price spreads for lower grade iron ore have increased to near the 40% mark, and experts say they don’t think the conditions which created a boom market for low grade iron ore a decade ago will emerge again. Unlike before, reducing CO2 emissions has emerged as China’s primary policy objective, with the country planning to hit peak emissions by 2025 and become a net zero state by 2060. Higher grade iron ores produce less slag and require less coke for processing into crude steel, meaning coal consumption and resulting emissions are lower.

Source: Stockhead, 18 January 2022

• ThyssenKrupp Uhde has been awarded a contract

by ArcelorMittal Belgium to enhance a coke oven gas treatment plant at the steelmaker’s Ghent facility.

The focus will be on adding a state-of-the-art sulphur removal and recovery unit, which will go into service in July 2023.

Source: Market Screener, 20 January 2022 www.steeltimesint.com

• There has been yet another fatality at a POSCO steel mill. A 38-year-old man was hit by a coal-moving vehicle and was pronounced dead after arriving at hospital.

Over the past three years, eight workers have now been killed on duty. POSCO was fined 440 million won (US$369,592) for 225 legal safety violations following a special Government inspection. An industrial accident punishment law has been introduced which could see owners and CEOs with five or more employees being sent to prison for one year or being fined up to 1 billion won if a serious workplace accident takes place.

Source: Yonhap News Agency, 20 January 2022

• Israel is to buy three submarines from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in a deal worth 3 billion Euros (US$3.4 billion). An 850 million Euro strategic co-operation deal has also been signed. The first Dakar submarine will be delivered in around nine years. The new

• Talks have begun on removing Section 232 tariffs on British steel and aluminium. Gina Raimondo, US Commerce Secretary, and Trade Representative Katherine Tai, have met with the UK’s trade minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan to work on ‘a swift deal that ensures the viability of the steel and aluminium industries in both countries’, according to an online media report.

Source: The Mainichi, 20 January 2022

Dakar models will replace Israel’s ageing Dolphin subs, which were also made in Germany.

Source: Reuters, 20 January 2022

• China’s Hebei Province saw crude steel output plunge by 10% in 2021 as a result of stringent environmental controls designed to curb pollution and reduce emissions. Hebei, in the north of China, produced 225Mt of steel last year, down 9.9% on the previous year, according to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics. Interestingly, the region produces more steel than the world’s second biggest producer, India.

Source: Reuters, 20 January 2022

Digital Edition - February 2022

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• So-called ‘transition bonds’ will be launched in April by Japanese steelmaker JFE Holdings to raise funds for developing energy-saving technology for its steelmaking facilities and increase production of steel plates for electric vehicle motors. The bonds will be worth around US$260 million, claims an online report.

Source: NHK World, 20 January 2022

NEWS ROUND-UP

• Russian steelmaker MMK is relying upon German company SMS group to implement decarbonisation technology at its new blast furnace 11, which is currently under construction. The company, says SMS, is moving towards higher ecological standards as the technology involved is claimed to decrease CO2 emissions while increasing the productivity of the furnace.

Source: Steel Orbis, 20 January 2022

• Russian steelmaker Severstal has introduced a new loading and storage complex at its Yakovlevksy Mining and Processing plant in Russia. The facility has been designed to automate the transport and shipment of finished products and store ore reserves. Denis Golubnichy, head of the plant, said that overall efficiency levels will benefit from the development.

Source: Market Screener, 24 January 2022

• Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau is ceasing activities at its Riograndense steel mill at Rio Grande do Sul. The plant will be closed for one year while the melt shop is revamped.

Rolling output will continue, says Gerdau. The melt shop revamp will cost in the region of 200 million Reals (US$36 million).Source: Fastmarkets MB, 20 January 2021

• If you live in or near North East Blytheville, Arkansas, USA and fancy earning a starting salary of $80,000 per annum, then look no further than Nucor Corporation. The company is offering entrylevel jobs at its Nucor Steel and Nucor Yamato Steel facility.

Source: kait8.com, 20 January 2022

Digital Edition - February 2022

• US Steel is to build another ‘steel mill of the future’ in Arkansas, USA. When completed the Blytheville plant will feature endless casting and rolling as well as enhanced finishing capabilities. Some 900 full-time jobs will be created at the new plant and the average annual wages will be around $100,000. The plant will be fully operational in 2024.

Source: Tag24.com, 25 January 2022

• Indian steelmaker JSW is planning to spend over US$1 billion on reducing emissions.

The company aims to use more natural gas as the country moves towards its net-zero goal by 2070. Plans in the pipeline include moving to solar power for energy and using more scrap.

Source: Bloomberg, 25 January 2022

• China is the location for a new 900kt/yr automotive steels plant from South Korean steelmaker POSCO. The company plans to set up shop in Tangshan, Hebei Province. Construction onsite started 7 January 2022 and is a joint venture with HBIS Group (formerly Hesteel Group). The name of the company behind the venture is Hagang Pohang, which was set up by POSCO in September last year. The shares will be split equally between HBIS and POSCO and the plan is to sell auto steel plates in China.

The plant opens at the end of 2023.

Source: Market Screener, 25 January 2022 • The UK is reviewing anti-dumping measures on Chinese heavy steel plates.

The measures were started almost six years ago and the review is designed to determine whether to keep them in place. According to the Trade Remedies Authority, the review was to ascertain whether the measures are still in the UK’s interests.

Source: South China Morning Post, 26 January 2022.

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NEWS ROUND-UP

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• Austrian plant builder Primetals Technologies will supply JSW Vijayanagar Metallics with a new 5Mt/yr steel melt shop. The order includes two LD (BOF) converters, two ladle furnaces, gas cleaning and dedusting systems and two slab casters designed to produce slabs of 900mm to 1,650mm width and thicknesses of 220mm and 260mm.

Source: Steel Orbis, 26 January 2022

• South Korean steelmaker Hyundai has developed a 1.5 GPa martensitic steel plate for use on electric vehicles. The company claims that its new product is flatter and offers higher crack resistance than other similar products in the same category, meaning it can be used for battery containers, bumpers and roof sides.

Source: The Korea Herald, 26 January 2022

• Conflict in Ukraine could have a ripple effect on US steelmakers according to a report by Argus Media. US steelmakers rely upon Russia and Ukraine for pig iron and steel slab shipments, which is used to produce raw steel in electric arc furnaces and by rerollers to make flat-rolled products. Armed conflict, it is argued, could lead to supply shortages of steelmaking raw materials in the USA. Source: Argus Media, 26 January 2022

• Steady progress on vaccinating people, rising government infrastructure spending and sustained economic recovery are three reasons why a Moody’s Investor Services report believes that demand for steel in India will improve.

Moody’s also believes that there will be high single-digit percentage growth in Indian steel use.

Source: The Financial Express, 27 January 2022

• Skill development centres have been set up by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India to promote women’s empowerment in villages close to the company’s 9Mt/yr facility in Hazira. Free training in tailoring skills and other vocational courses, including computer training, make-up, embroidery and baking is being offered and is claimed to have allowed the women in question to stand on their own feet. Over 1,100 women benefitted from the scheme last year, many of whom were school drop-outs. The aim is to empower more than 5,000 women.

Source: The CSR Journal, 28 January 2022

Police officers confirmed a man suffered 'serious injuries' and was taken to hospital by ambulance, following a call to an ‘accident’ at Dyfed Steels in Dafen, Llanelli. While the exact nature of the incident was not released, operations director at Dyfed Steels Daniel Thomas confirmed the incident involved an external contractor. The individual injured in the incident has been taken to Morriston Hospital in Swansea for medical care.

Source: Wales Online, 2 February 2022

Russian steelmaker Severstal has announced an investment in Canada-based developer of production technology, Ekona Power Inc, through funding led by US-based Baker Hughes. Ekona Power, which has developed a hydrogen production technology based on a novel methane pyrolysis process has received a $79 million equity investment to commercialise clean hydrogen technology, with support from companies including Severstal, Mitsui, and ConocoPhillips. Ekona’s fully commercialised hydrogen production plants aim to generate up to 100kt of hydrogen annually for under $1.5 per kilogram, as a result of the process reducing production costs. Source: Steel Orbis, 2 February 2022 www.steeltimesint.com

Digital Edition - February 2022

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NEWS ROUND-UP

Liberty Magona, a flat coated steel producer in Italy, plans to increase output by roughly 20% this year due to a rise in organic coated products production, the company has announced.

Liberty Magona has a production capacity of galvanized and pre-painted flat steel of about 800kt/y. This announcement follows its €100 million long term investment in 2020 to build the company into a leading supplier of coated steel products.

Source: Metal Bulletin, 2 February 2022

Liberty Steel’s Peoria plant in Illinois, US, has resumed steelmaking operations following the installation and testing of its electric arc furnace. According to a company spokesperson, production at all lines is returning to normal levels.

The plant had previously been integrated with Liberty Steel’s Georgetown plant in 2021, to fulfil a strong order book.

Source: Steel Orbis, 3 February 2022 Chinese authorities have released a guideline encouraging domestic steel mills to consolidate through mergers and acquisitions (M&As) to accelerate the sector's high-quality development. In addition, authorities have urged financial institutions to provide comprehensive financial services to iron and steel enterprises pursuing M&As, structural adjustments, transformations and upgrading. According to a plan released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, by 2025, China

800 workers at ArcelorMittal's steel plants in Contrecoeur-Est and Longueuil have gone on strike due to salary concerns.

The collective agreements for members at the Contrecoeur East plant (6586), the Longueuil plant (8897) and the offices (8060) expired on 31 January, with members voting for a strike mandate.

ArcelorMittal management insisted it was confident an agreement would be reached soon, balancing the company's competitiveness with favourable working conditions for employees.

Source: CTV News, 3 February 2022

ArcelorMittal, multinational steel manufacturer, has publicised its decarbonisation programme in France, which involves a €1.7 billion investment in its Fos-sur-Mer and Dunkirk sites in France.

The investment is hoped to enable a transformation of steelmaking in France and a total reduction of close to 40% or 7.8Mt per year in ArcelorMittal’s CO2 emissions in France by 2030.

The programme aims to represent a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing industry in France.

Source: Yahoo Finance, 4 February 2022

will build a number of supersized steel conglomerates, and the top 10 steel enterprises will account for 60% of the country's steel output.

Source: Global Times, 7 February 2022

The UK Parliament announced that its Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched an inquiry into ‘’green steel’’ in the latest stage of its Technological Innovation and Climate Change inquiry. The chairman of the committee called for a clear lead from the governmental to adopt sustainable technology in the industry, due to the major carbon footprint of steel. The

Three university students at the University of Bath, UK have designed a heavy steel baking tray so their chips will cook as well as they do back home. The students found the cooker in their student accommodation produced unappetising soggy pizza and chips, so engineered a steel tray with holes which distributes heat more evenly.

Having perfected the design, they now hope to start mass production.

Source: BBC, 7 February 2022

EAC also recommended that the government set targets for ore-based steelmaking, instead of coking coal, to reach near-zero emissions by 2035.

Source: Steel Orbis, 7 February 2022 www.steeltimesint.com

NEWS ROUND-UP

Mechel, a Russian steel and mining group, has announced that its trading division Mechel-Servic has supplied 4.9Mt of rebar for the construction of an electrometallurgical complex being built by Russia-based Ecolant in Vyksa, the Nizhny Novgorod region. The complex, which is a pilot project of green metallurgy in the country, uses modern environmentally-friendly technologies and will produce steel using the direct reducing method with iron ore pellets and natural gas.

Source: Steel Orbis, 7 February 2022

Shell, the multinational oil and gas company, and Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau have announced that they had reached a binding agreement to create a 50-50 joint venture for the development, construction and operation of a new solar farm in Brazil's Minas Gerais state. According to the companies, 50% of the power generated by the solar farm would supply Gerdau's steelmaking units in Brazil, while the other half would be traded on the free market through Shell's local unit Shell Energy Brasil.

Source: Nasdaq, 7 February 2022

The former Shougang Group steel mill, located in in Beijing’s Shijingshan District, has been repurposed as the background for the Olympic Games Freeskiing event. The mill has been transformed into ‘Freeski big air’, a 200ft structure which functions as the backdrop for one of the Games’ newest sports.

The steel mill has already undergone changes such as one of its blast furnaces being turned into a steampunkstyle event space with shops, commercial offices and a museum.

Source: The Independent, 8 February 2022

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Tata Steel has announced plans to set up small-sized factories to make reinforced steel from scrapped automobiles and other products. The facilities will source scrap from market segments such as endof-life vehicles, obsolete households, construction and demolition through an app named FerroHaat. The scrap is processed through mechanised equipment and supplied for downstream steel making, with the steel produced creating lower carbon emissions, resource consumption and energy utilisation. Source: The Hindu Business Line, 8 February 2022

Luxembourg-headquartered international steel pipe producer, Tenaris, has announced that it plans to restart its heat treatment and finishing lines at its Koppel plant in Pennsylvania to streamline the flow of seamless products. The company will make an investment of around $3.5 million to overhaul its plant, which is scheduled for re-opening in April 2022. Tenaris has already increased production volumes at its Ambridge seamless mill, and plans to increase activities at its Brookfield plant. Source: Steel Orbis, 9 February 2022

Scunthorpe scaffolders have marked 100 days of strike action with protests against their contractor Actavo working at British Steel Scunthorpe. In a dispute going back three years, the strikers are fighting for the national industry rate for the job which is reported to be 10-15% higher than their current wage. Further direct action is planned against Actavo leadership and firms, with a national day of action being organised within February, which will include a large demonstration at Scunthorpe Steel Works. Source: Socialist Party, 9 February 2022 A Labour-led Senate inquiry into Australian manufacturing has recommended that a co-operative research centre for sustainable manufacturing should be established to support new domestic green metal and green hydrogen industries. The proposals follow evidence to the inquiry that Australia has one of the most energy intensive manufacturing industries in the developed world that still accounts for one fifth of the country’s total energy consumption, despite the industry shrinking in size over several decades. Source: AU Manufacturing, 9 February 2022 Digital Edition - February 2022

12 NEWS ROUND-UP

Liberty Steel’s Georgetown mill, located in South Carolina, has received a letter in regard to the zoning of its property and the mill’s compliance with the REDD Ordinance that was passed by city council. Leaders from the City of Georgetown recently toured the mill to see if it was abiding by the agreement that was set forth in the REDD ordinance. The contents of the letter will not be released, according to council officials, until Liberty Steel has a chance to respond.

Source: GAB News, 9 February 2022

Tata Steel has announced that its arm, Tata Steel Long Products Ltd, has accepted the letter of award (LoA) for acquisition of Odisha-based Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL). DIPAM (Department of Investment and Public Asset Management) has issued the letter of award to Tata Steel Long Products for the acquisition of a 93.71% equity stake of NINL on 2 February. The process for the acquisition of NINL is likely to be completed within the next couple of months, Tata Steel said in a statement.

Source: Mint, 9 February 2022

Russian steelmakers MMK, NLMK, and Severstal have been found to have breached antitrust laws in relation to flat steel prices in 2021, according to an announcement by Russia’s Commission of the Federal Anti-monopoly Service (FAS). The companies have been ordered to take action to ensure that competitive behaviour is allowed to prevail in the market, stated the FAS. Source: Metal Bulletin, 10 February 2022

Octopus Hydrogen, supplier of green hydrogen, and the renewables arm of BayWa, sustainability technology leader, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on green hydrogen production facilities at clean power sites across the UK. The partnership will see Octopus Hydrogen install electrolysers, compression and mobile hydrogen storage alongside selected BayWa solar and wind projects. Initial projects will have the potential to produce up to 6,500kg a day of green hydrogen, with the first deliveries expected next year.

Source: ReNews: 10 February 2022

Olivia Machel, the daughter of the founding leader of Mozambique, has led a delegation that met with President Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, in order to discuss the development of a $7.8 billion port that is hoped to offer a shorter route for steel exports. Construction of the port is expected to start within the next year. Equipped with a 1.5km by 600m carbon and steel plant, an iron ore mine, and a ferrochrome plant, the project is expected to have a capacity of 1.2Mt a year, while between 4,000 and 5,000 people will benefit through employment across value chains.

Source: Club of Mozambique, 11 February 2022

Tata Steel is taking a blast furnace at its Ijmuiden site in the Netherlands off line for ‘significant maintenance’

during the first half of 2023, according to a customer letter. The 2.5Mt/yr furnace number six has had a long campaign, hence the maintenance, according to a company source. Tata will be stocking internal slab to smooth deliveries during the period and will also buy some slab from external suppliers.

Source: Argus Media, 11 February 2022

Pro Steel engineering, a Welsh steel specialist company, has successfully secured grant funding from the Welsh Government’s Productivity Enhancement Programme for crucial investment. The programme was launched in Torfaen in 2020 by the Economy and Enterprise Team at Torfaen Council in partnership with the Welsh Government and has seen a significant amount of capital investment awarded to Torfaen’s manufacturing sector. The company has put the grant funding of £25,000 to use by purchasing new cranes. Source: Business News Wales, 14 February 2022 www.steeltimesint.com

NEWS ROUND-UP

The Financial Conduct Authority has stopped British Steel firm AJH Financial Services Limited (AJH) from disposing assets without permission. An update from the regulator says AJH advised on transfers from the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) and is concerned about the firm’s financial status.

The FCA expects to consult on a redress scheme for former members of BSPS in March 2022. Source: Money Marketing, 14 February 2022

13

South Korea's Hanwha Defense, a global weapons system exporter, has signed an agreement with Australian firm Bisalloy Steels to collaborate on building Redback infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and K9 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) for international customers. Hanwha Defense said that under the terms of its memorandum of understanding (MoU), it will procure steel from the New South Wales-based firm for its Redback vehicles and K9s that are exported ‘to international markets beyond Australia’. Source: Janes, 14 February 2022

United States Steel Corporation (US Steel) has announced that Christine S. Breves, senior vice president and chief financial officer, has informed the company of her intention to leave the company in 2022, after nine years of service with the company. Ms. Breves will continue to serve as chief financial officer while the company conducts a search for a permanent replacement. Source: Yahoo! Finance, 15 February 2022

The Canadian government has announced its commitment towards a $1.8 billion green steel transformation at Hamilton’s ArcelorMittal Dofasco. The government is investing $500 million in grants and loans into a project that calls for coke ovens and blast furnaces to be mothballed and replaced with electric arc furnaces by 2028. The project is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the city’s largest carbon polluter by two-thirds when it is completed in 2028. Source: Global News, 15 February 2022

Pakistani steel producers have asked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to remove the ambiguity in the sales tax rules due to which they have not been able to supply steel to tax-exempt mega projects in Gwadar, Pakistan. The Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) Secretary-General Syed Wajid Bukhari urged the government to rectify the rules and take urgent measures to enable the local steel industry to supply steel to tax-exempt projects, in order to ensure the domestic industry benefits from them. Source: Dawn, 16 February 2022

Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has worked with two South Yorkshire steel suppliers in the development of a new hybrid anti-roll bar (ARB) for the transport sector. The Lightweight Metal Composite Hybrid (LiMeCH) project saw the creation of a lighter alternative to the tubular steel stabiliser bar currently used for suspension units in trucks and trains. According to the AMRC, replacing the steel with lighter materials can improve fuel efficiency, helping operators meet new emissions regulations. Source: Eureka, 16 February 2022

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is participating in Slovenian Steel Group's €230 million longterm debt facility, with €25 million to support the specialized steel company's efforts to further reduce its environmental impact, the bank has announced. One of the core objectives of the EBRD is the transition towards a low-carbon economy in hard-toabate industries, such as steel and iron. Source: Budapest Business Journal, 16 February 2022

14

INNOVATIONS

Global technology company ABB has launched its Tundish EMS solution, targeted to optimise the ability of the tundish vessel in controlling the flow of molten metal and, therefore, steel quality and temperature.

Tundish EMS is placed on the outside of the tundish, and uses non-contact electromagnetic stirring technology to generate an electromagnetic field that creates a stirring effect in the bath melt. This continuous stirring increases mixing zone volume for the tundish, with higher flow speeds, elimination of dead zones and homogenization of temperature.

Adoption of this electromagnetic stirring technology will be particularly important for steelmakers with multiple casting strands coming from one tundish. It aims to achieve a greater removal of inclusions, resulting in smoother, cleaner steel and reductions in nozzle clogging.

By creating a stirring flow throughout the entire tundish melt bath, Tundish EMS is designed to deliver rapid homogenization of temperature and chemical composition that results in more uniform and repeatable casting conditions across multiple strands and overall improved quality, productivity and profitability in billet and bloom casting and metal powder production.

The technology also offers new functionalities including flexibility in stirring force and direction and the ability to stir and control the flow field in the whole melt volume of the tundish. A variety of Tundish EMS installation configurations are available for most tundish types.

“The new Tundish EMS is a result of ABB’s know-how in stirrer design and unrivalled process insight gained from thousands of installations as well as track record in collaborative product development,” said Zaeim Mehraban, global sales manager of metallurgy products at ABB. “It allows steelmakers to overcome a challenge that tundish furniture has not yet been able to solve.

As well as increasing quality, productivity and profitability, Tundish EMS uses non-contact electromagnetic stirring technology which extends lifespan and means almost no maintenance is required.”

Tundish EMS, claims ABB, aims to improve non-metallic inclusion removal and overall steel cleanliness, as well as providing temperature homogenization and stability throughout the entire tundish melt bath, reducing superheat and enhancing uniformity of temperature across various strands. ABB claims the overall process repeatability and reliability is resultantly improved through this process, and costs are reduced by lowered consumption of tundish furniture such as dam, weir and baffle materials.

For further information, log on to www.abb.com

Digital Edition - February 2022

INNOVATIONS

ABB launches tundish EMS solution

15

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INNOVATIONS

17

Tenova supplies new technology platform Tenova Goodfellow Inc., a subsidiary of Tenova, has received an order from Celsa France, an EAF steel producer specialized in the production of steel billets from steel scrap, for the supply of one iEAF® technology platform using the NextGen® System for their 150 ton scrap AC top charge furnace in Boucau, France.

This order from Celsa France represents the third NextGen® system to be installed in Europe, one of over 15 systems installed worldwide. The scope of supply will include Tenova’s NextGen® hardware for upstream off-gas measurement, which Tenova claims is the first step that enables

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all software solutions, including mass and energy balance that is needed for achieving net energy and melting-percent control with iEAF® technology. Also included is optical temperature and velocity measurement, HMI for process data, and optimization support.

“We are pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with Tenova”, commented Nicolas Claveranne, production manager at Celsa France and project manager for this project.

“The NextGen® references will bring added value to the steelmaking operations of our plant”.

“Since the beginning of this project the co-operation with Celsa France has been fruitful, and we have worked together to fulfill its targets.

As per our heritage, our support will continue during the implementation and the execution of this project to reach the expected results,” stated Davide Masoero, area manager of the European electric arc and ladle furnace at Tenova.

For further information, log on to www.tenova.com

Digital Edition - February 2022

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INNOVATIONS

19

Rösler supplies tumble belt blast machine Baumann Springs, leader in the production of springs and stampings, has purchased a tumble belt blast machine, model RMBC 4.2-HD, from Rösler – a surface finishing supplier. The machine will be used for the cleaning and texturing (roughening) of the surface of the springs prior to coating. Claudio Hertig, project manager of global operations at Baumann Springs, explained: ‘‘For this challenging task, we had discussions with several equipment manufacturers and requested quotes from three of the suppliers. The Rösler solution impressed us not only because of the design of the equipment, but also its functionality. Another positive factor was the sturdy machine construction. To familiarize myself with the suppliers, I visited all three companies and prepared a detailed technical comparison. Last but not least, our good experience with Rösler

equipment already running at some of our facilities and the global presence of the company, also played a role in our decision for Rösler”, Hertig continued.

The RMBC 4.2-HD was painted per customer specifications and is equipped with special technical features. It allows the blast cleaning of complete batches of loosely tumbling compression springs with batch weights of up to 1,000 kg. Two Gamma 300G turbines, each equipped with a power of 11 kW, are claimed to ensure a high shot blast intensity.

According to Rösler, in order to minimize machine downtimes due to wear, the inside of the blast chamber is lined with replaceable 6mm thick wear-resistant manganese plates. The left and right side of the media discharge opening of the turbines is equipped with additional wear

plates. These bundle the media stream and prevent this section of the blast chamber from damage by the blast media. Finally, the barrel heads, also made from manganese steel, are equipped with a PU coating providing an additional wear protection in the primary blast zone, designed to further extend the equipment uptime. Hertig concluded; ‘‘The comprehensive experience and know-how of Rösler with the production of such machines is an invaluable advantage that helps improve the overall efficiency of the equipment.

In addition, the global Rösler technical service allows us to work in other plants with the same processes and machinery and have them maintained by local Rösler service engineers”.

For further information, log on to www.rosler.com

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INNOVATIONS

21

Morgan partners with Siemens at US steel mill A major US steel mill in Arkansas required a new fully-automated, non-manned series of three cranes to work with two coil transfer cars accepting hot coils off the walking beam from the hot mill. In manufacturing this system solution, its engineering and materials handling equipment partner, Morgan Automation, turned to its longtime drives and motion control partner, Siemens, who provided a full complement of drive, plc, safety I/O, power quality meters, PCs, wireless hardware, communication software, and its TIA Portal for commissioning and monitoring on the project. According to the president of Morgan Automation, Mark Sharamitaro, “The excellent reliability and performance of the Siemens solution on this project was invaluable in helping us achieve complete operational efficiency and zero downtime during the first six months of operation.”

This greenfield project involved the handling of approximately 1000 coils or 30kt of steel per day at the mill. A typical coil in this yard is approximately 83” OD x 82” W and weighs 28 tons on

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average. In the proposed and enclosed coil yard, the walking beam would deliver the coils from the hot mill, then the crane grab would secure the individual coil and place it in the coil transfer car or on a saddle in the appropriate quadrant on the floor. During low production times, the system would defrag the coil assortment into the proper positions to conserve storage space with full tracking in real time. Each crane has a thermal imaging camera for temp sensing plus a patent-pending laser positioning system. The comprehensive data tracking is clearly displayed in the mill control room with real time KPI calculations.

The goals for this new autonomous coil yard (ACY) included the indoor facility to reduce rust and corrosion, improved coil handling to meet the shipping protocols, reduced energy costs by eliminating lift truck handling and reducing physical distancing of coils, and faster location of the coils on their saddles for crane handling into shipment staging areas. Integration of the entire operation was to be handled by the proprietary

Morgan CEPHAS logistic management system with a rules-based engine for algorithmic decision-making. All the information management would be transmitted and handled by mill personnel, using the in-house platform and virtual private network (VPN).

With those logistics, performance goals and system integration requirements, Morgan worked with the Siemens team to utilize the full range of product and software options for construction of the optimum materials handling, motion control and data management system for the ACY. According to Mark Sharamitaro, “We were bringing our established CEPHAS warehouse management system to this challenge and seeking to marry it to a single user interface, driven by the rules established by our customer, so there’s essentially a single bucket of data on each coil.”

For further information, log on to www.morganautomation.co.uk

Digital Edition - February 2022

— Tundish EMS For billet and bloom casting and metal powder production

Go beyond the limited capabilities of tundish furniture systems to produce cleaner, better quality steel and increase productivity and profitability in your billet or bloom casting or metal powder production process. The ABB Tundish EMS electromagnetic stirrer allows steelmakers to do even more to control steel flow, homogenize and stabilize temperature and remove inclusions in tundish. This technology has already been successfully implemented on a billet caster at Zenith Steel, China. abb.com/metals

INNOVATIONS

23

Olympus releases new microscope software Olympus, manufacturer of technologies including microscopes and videoscapes, has announced the release of new software named PRECiV™, which claims to enable users in production, quality control and inspection to make precise, repetitive 2D measurements, and obtain results that comply with the latest industrial standards.

According to Olympus, PRECiV software turns any manual microscope into a comprehensive imaging and measurement platform. The software can control all Olympus conventional industrial microscopes, their coded functions, Olympus motorized nosepieces and Olympus digital microscope cameras. It supports brightfield, darkfield, MIX (directional darkfield), polarization and differential interference contrast (DIC) imaging for

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flexibility. Functions within the PRECiv software include auto edge detection, which aims to reliably measure the distance between two points, auxiliary lines to make geometric measurements, and a magic wand for automatic area detection which is designed to allow inspectors to be confident in their data. The extended focal imaging (EFI) function serially acquires multiple images in different focal planes while the panorama function enables users to move the stage across the sample and then stitch those images together into one large image. For advanced applications like grain sizing or non-metallic inclusions, the optional materials solutions guide helps users through the steps required to acquire measurements that comply with the latest standards,

including ISO, ASTM and JIS. PRECiV software also has data sharing and security features, which with a connected workstation, allows users to save images and configuration files to the cloud or a network drive, receive automatic software updates and security patches, use a floating license and upgrade to new versions. Images can be saved and loaded in multiple formats or saved as a JPEG with the accompanying calibration information for traceability.

For further information, log on to www. olympus.com

Digital Edition - February 2022

24

INNOVATIONS

Voith acquires remaining stake in ELIN Moteren

Digital Edition - February 2022

www.steeltimesint.com

INNOVATIONS

Voith, a global technology company, has acquired the remaining stake in ELIN Moteren GmbH, a manufacturer of electric motors and generators. Voith first purchased a 70% stake of ELIN Motoren GmbH in May 2020, with both parties then agreeing on the acquisition of the remaining stake in December 2021. Voith has stated that ELIN Motoren will continue to operate under the established brand, and there will be no personnel changes in the group division’s management.

“For Voith, this is a further step in strengthening our core business and consistently expanding it in the direction of sustainable technologies,” commented Dr. Toralf Haag, CEO of the Voith Group.

ELIN Motoren GmbH has a total of about 1,000 employees and generates a turnover of around €120 million. The company manufactures electric motors and generators in small series as well as individualized solutions for industrial applications. In this area, the company focuses on electric machines, motors in the low-voltage,

www.steeltimesint.com

25

medium-voltage and high-voltage range, and generators, in particular for wind energy and decentralized energy generation. With its product portfolio, ELIN Motoren serves the target markets of wind energy, plastics, tunnels and mining, oil and gas, plant construction, and power plants.

“Voith Turbo is regarded worldwide as a leading technology-independent supplier of drive systems. Together with ELIN Motoren, we have been able to achieve a significant advantage for our customers in the electrification of the drivetrain in recent years. The acquisition is, therefore, an important milestone and contribution to driving forward decarbonization and the associated reduction of CO2,” added Cornelius Weitzmann, CEO of Voith Turbo.

Voith claims that the full acquisition of ELIN Motoren will have no impact on business operations, with the areas of activity remaining the same.

For further information, log on to www.voith.com

Digital Edition - February 2022

26

INNOVATIONS

Harsco Environmental re-launches SteelPhalt Harsco Environmental, a division of Harsco Corporation and a leader in environmental services and metal products, has announced that it has re-launched SteelPhalt as an asphalt company with solutions for roadmaking challenges.

“We don’t quarry the Earth – instead, Harsco Environmental is increasingly focused on carbon-conscious ecoproducts™ such as SteelPhalt,” said Martin Gray, managing director of SteelPhalt. “Our people, and their passion for making a difference, keep us determined to make a world of difference by dealing with the issues of today to help solve the problems of tomorrow.”

The announcement follows SteelPhalt’s continued expansion, which aims to support sustainable roadmaking. The company recently announced the opening of two new asphalt plants for the first time in 60 years. The new plants, located in Cardiff, Wales, and an additional plant at the existing Rotherham, England facility, manufacture sustainable asphalt products using 95% recycled aggregates.

SteelPhalt’s re-launch includes a new website featuring a new product selector designed to aid current and potential customers in decision-making when specifying materials for a project.

Actions such as ordering and tracking have also been automated on the new site, which Harsco Environmental claims will lower customer time spent on administrative tasks.

With plans to open several facilities over the next three years outside of the UK, the additional plants are expected to offer Harsco another resource for handling slag from its steel mill customers while also responding to the increasing demand for sustainability.

For further information, log on to www.harsco-environmental.com

Ward invests in energy efficient crane Metal and waste recycling specialist, Ward, has invested in a Mantsinen 70 hydraulic crane for its metal processing site at Redcar Bulk Terminal, to increase its export handling capacity for ferrous metals.

The purchase of the new diesel powered Mantsinen 70 is the largest single investment in material handling equipment Ward has made to date, at over €800,000. The heavy-duty machine has a maximum reach of 24 metres and weighs 95 tonnes, and can lift up to 15 tonnes of material in each movement.

Thomas Ward, commercial director at Ward, commented: “This is the largest piece of equipment in our business to date for bulk handling of scrap metal. The new Mantsinen 70 hydraulic crane is more energy efficient, helping to reduce both our handling costs and CO2 emissions per tonne at our Redcar site. It also has the benefit of helping to increase loading speeds, which is an important factor when loading for our end users.”

The Midlands-based business, with sites nationwide, purchased the brand new Mantsinen

70 through Cooper Handling, the exclusive UK distributor of Mantsinen hydraulic cranes, in early 2021.

Martin Vanstone-Dale, manager of sales and rental at Cooper Handling, commented:” The concept of hydraulic cranes is all based around cycle times and productivity, which makes it ideal for Ward. They offer pinpoint accuracy and are more wind resistant thus aiding port operations and increasing efficiency. With added safety features and flexible attachments, we’re pleased to have been able to support Ward in acquiring an energy efficient option for its metal processing operations.”

As part of The Ward Way sustainability strategy to 2030, the Ward team has also opted for the HybriLift® energy saving system. This optional extra claims to provide greater load movement while using less energy, which Ward states displays their ongoing commitment to carbon reduction and lowering energy consumption.

For further information, log on to www.ward.com www.steeltimesint.com

INNOVATIONS

27

Haver & Boecker Niagara engineers elliptical screen Haver & Boecker Niagara, provider of screening, pelletizing and mineral processing plants and systems, has engineered a new, elliptical motion Niagara XL-Class vibrating screen for a Brazilian iron ore producer. The company claims that the new technology is ideal for screening applications challenged with high-moisture content and can easily handle capacities up to 3,500 tons per hour while minimizing water usage. The XL-Class runs in an elliptical motion of up to 6g in a high-moisture iron ore screening application to ensure stratification in all phases of screening. The new vibrating screen also features an elliptical exciter drive that offers a bearing life up to 75,000 hours.

“We are dedicated to using innovative tech-

nological solutions to enhance our customers’ daily processes,” said Denilson Moreno, Haver & Boecker Niagara sales manager. “Our new XL-Class design is a prime example of that. The vibrating screen’s unique elliptical movement maintains unrivaled screening performance when processing high-moisture materials.”

Each elliptical XL-Class machine is designed to the operation’s specific application using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which measures the high stress areas and natural frequencies of a vibrating screen. The analysis is expected to help engineers optimize machine performance by giving them the information they need to determine where to reinforce critical areas and reduce the weight of any oversized components.

“The machine’s capability to improve the outcome with high-moisture applications is a revolutionary development that is not only beneficial to this customer, but operations around the world,” Moreno said.

Operations can pair the elliptical XL-Class with the company’s Ty-Deck Ultra modular screen media, which aims to maximize the screening efficiency of high-moisture material and address its challenges. According to the company, Ty-Deck Ultra’s accelerated screening action cleans material without the use of water, therefore reducing the need for tailing dams.

For further information, log on to haverniagara.com.

Discover our heavy-duty lift trucks and attachments No two mines, steel mills or aluminium production facilities are alike and some applications are more demanding than others. Konecranes lift trucks can be tailormade to meet any need, no matter how tough the requirements may be.

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INNOVATIONS

29

Modulift shortens delivery time Modulift, manufacturer of modular spreader beams, has announced developments to its delivery service as stock ordered by the European market is now able to delivered the next day via its new warehouse facility based in the Czech Republic.

Demand for Modulift’s modular range of DNV Type Approved spreader beams readily available off the shelf has risen sharply, as a result of growth within the European market. The warehouse facility holds stock from MOD 6 up

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to MOD 400/600 and CMOD corner units across the range. The CMOD corner units are compatable with the struts from the modular spreader beam system, which Modulift claims makes the units a versatile solution for customers looking to achieve multi-point lifts.

Customers who purchase from Modulift’s Czech warehouse facility can look to receive their order much sooner than previously possible, which Modulift states will remove the worry of customs paperwork- as well as cater for an

expanding order base throughout Europe.

John Baker, commercial director for Modulift said, “With a lot of delays at ports not just in Europe but around the globe, this is the perfect time for Modulift to expand by having a warehouse facility that will be able to provide off the shelf products ready and waiting to customers who urgently need them next working day.”

For further information, log on to www.modulift.com

Digital Edition - February 2022

“IT’S AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THE EVOLUTION OF THE STEEL INDUSTRY” Diego Diaz Fidalgo, ArcelorMittal

The long awaited Future Steel Forum is LIVE in Prague from 8-9 June 2022

“THIS EVENT IS THE ONLY MEETING FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 FOCUSSED ON THE STEEL INDUSTRY IN EUROPE” Kiyoshi Ebihara, Nippon Steel Corporation

EARLY BIRDS TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE - FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY TOPICS INCLUDE: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE • MACHINE LEARNING • SUSTAINABILITY • LOGISTICS • PLANT SAFETY The Future Steel Forum was launched to address the growing interest in digital manufacturing within the global steel industry, particularly the technologies associated with Industry 4.0 such as Big Data, the Industrial Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Over the past five years, the event has attracted speakers from major steelmakers including ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, Voestalpine, POSCO, Emirates Steel, US Steel, Big River Steel, Liberty Steel Group, TMK, Kobe Steel, Metinvest Digital, Badische Stahl-Engineering, Buderus Stahl and many others.

Future Steel Forum speakers tend to be involved in the development and/or use of systems that rely upon these technologies, and the event itself endeavours to attract a mixed audience of steelmakers and technologists. In a nutshell, the Forum is an event for forward-thinking steelmakers who embrace new high-tech production technologies that embody the essence of so-called “smart manufacturing”.

OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER ANNOUNCED Mark Bula

Chief Commercial Officer H2 Green Steel

SPEAKERS ALREADY CONFIRMED FOR 2022 • ARCELORMITTAL • JFE STEEL CORPORATION • POSCO • METINVEST DIGITAL • WORLD STEEL ASSOCIATION

“WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO MY COLLEAGUES INVOLVED WITH THE DIGITALISATION OF THE BUSINESS, THE EVENT GIVES A VERY GOOD GLOBAL OVERVIEW” Luigi Morsut, Danieli & Co

• MATERIALS PROCESSING INSTITUTE

Secure your discounted Early Bird Ticket now at www.FutureSteelForum.com PAST AND PRESENT EXHIBITORS AND SPONSORS INCLUDE…

FSF_2022_CallforPapers_DPS_Ad.indd All Pages

ORGANISED BY

ORGANISED BY

24/02/2022 10:43

“IT’S AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THE EVOLUTION OF THE STEEL INDUSTRY” Diego Diaz Fidalgo, ArcelorMittal

The long awaited Future Steel Forum is LIVE in Prague from 8-9 June 2022

“THIS EVENT IS THE ONLY MEETING FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 FOCUSSED ON THE STEEL INDUSTRY IN EUROPE” Kiyoshi Ebihara, Nippon Steel Corporation

EARLY BIRDS TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE - FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY TOPICS INCLUDE: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE • MACHINE LEARNING • SUSTAINABILITY • LOGISTICS • PLANT SAFETY The Future Steel Forum was launched to address the growing interest in digital manufacturing within the global steel industry, particularly the technologies associated with Industry 4.0 such as Big Data, the Industrial Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Over the past five years, the event has attracted speakers from major steelmakers including ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, Voestalpine, POSCO, Emirates Steel, US Steel, Big River Steel, Liberty Steel Group, TMK, Kobe Steel, Metinvest Digital, Badische Stahl-Engineering, Buderus Stahl and many others.

Future Steel Forum speakers tend to be involved in the development and/or use of systems that rely upon these technologies, and the event itself endeavours to attract a mixed audience of steelmakers and technologists. In a nutshell, the Forum is an event for forward-thinking steelmakers who embrace new high-tech production technologies that embody the essence of so-called “smart manufacturing”.

OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER ANNOUNCED Mark Bula

Chief Commercial Officer H2 Green Steel

SPEAKERS ALREADY CONFIRMED FOR 2022 • ARCELORMITTAL • JFE STEEL CORPORATION • POSCO • METINVEST DIGITAL • WORLD STEEL ASSOCIATION

“WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO MY COLLEAGUES INVOLVED WITH THE DIGITALISATION OF THE BUSINESS, THE EVENT GIVES A VERY GOOD GLOBAL OVERVIEW” Luigi Morsut, Danieli & Co

• MATERIALS PROCESSING INSTITUTE

Secure your discounted Early Bird Ticket now at www.FutureSteelForum.com PAST AND PRESENT EXHIBITORS AND SPONSORS INCLUDE…

FSF_2022_CallforPapers_DPS_Ad.indd All Pages

ORGANISED BY

ORGANISED BY

24/02/2022 10:43

32

IRON ORE

Vale is using robots to remove employees from risky situations and increase the safety of its operations.

Michael Schwartz* interviewed Héctor Azpurúa, researcher at the Vale Institute of Technology.

Anymal, a quadruped robot nicknamed ‘Puppy’ and (inset) the SpeleoRobot

Robots boost Vale miners’ safety VIA the Vale Institute of Technology (ITV) a group of specialists has been investing in several robotic models, aimed to help employees with maintenance tasks, remove them from difficult circumstances and enable Vale in becoming a benchmark for mining safety. Three such models are in service: • a joint ITV/Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) SpeleoRobot device, which is remotely operated and can move over rough terrain to help map caves close to the mining • development of the SpeleoRobot

which can move with wheels, tyres, treads or legs as needed, and can use a sensing system to achieve, for example, highresolution inspection and 3D maps • Anymal, a quadruped robot nicknamed Puppy and profiled below.

Héctor Azpurúa supplied further details: “As we are removing people from the front line when performing several inspection and exploration activities, we are preventing the most dangerous situations arising from such tasks. Some of the hazards found in confined and subterranean scenarios where

the SpeleoRobot actuates are: the presence of venomous animals, noxious gases or excrement, extreme temperatures, narrow spaces, unhealthy oxygen levels, and flooding and collapsing structures, among others.”

Azpurúa confirmed that Vale’s robots have expanded their capabilities, notably in other confined and subterranean environments. For example, the SpeleoRobot has been used in ball mill inspection, jaw crushers, tailing pipes, drains, galleries and dams.

* Iron ore correspondent Digital Edition - February 2022

www.steeltimesint.com

IRON ORE

images with temperature measurements.

In terms of the Cauê mine, Anymal will carry out inspections of the grinding unit and will also create a three-dimensional map. Vale hopes that Anymal will instigate improvements in employee safety, create fewer stops, lower maintenance costs and have greater reliability in inspection and in collecting parameters to control the performance of company assets in real time.

Anymal In addition to developing domestic equipment, Vale is also set to acquire Anymal, a quadruped robot created by the Swiss company Anybotics. The robot was showcased at the Cauê plant in Itabira (Minas Gerais) this year, which ultimately convinced Vale to make a purchase.

In its showcase, the robot manoeuvered around the platform and overcame obstacles such as going up and down stairs. Among other functions, it created and displayed a digitised map of the area under inspection, executed route planning (and defined the way forward), focused on specific objects and instruments, transmitted images, and recorded thermal www.steeltimesint.com

Conveyor belt technology ITV is partnering with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) to develop the Robot for Inspection Services (ROSI.) This is essentially an inspection tool in Vale’s operational areas, focusing on conveyor belts. ROSI carries a robotic arm which can act with dexterity in an operational environment, and can also reposition sensors and collect samples in places with difficult access.

Prototype being tested ROSI’s development began in 2017 and the model is currently in the testing phase.

Héctor Azpurúa explained to STI that Vale is testing a prototype to estimate defects in conveyor belts using vibration and inclination sensors.

33

Vale’s major investment in robot technology begs the question as to whether that technology will be made available to other companies. While there is a patent on the company’s robot which has been widely accepted, the majority of the robot’s capacities, including navigation algorithms, exploration behaviours, mapping, and localisation, are all open-source and have been published in peer-reviewed venues.

Vale is looking to collaborate with other companies and share knowledge so that other entities, whether they are institutes, universities or other industries, can also use versions of the SpeleoRobot tailored for their specific purposes. One such company is National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is keen to learn technology to adapt for space operations.

Furthermore, an autonomous exploration technique for terrestrial robots in confined and subterranean spaces has been developed; Vale has even developed aerial systems to help reforestation in hardto-reach places and inspect power line systems with thermal and RGB cameras.

And the financial and safety benefits?

Héctor Azpurúa informed STI that, “There are multiple aspects of financial savings, including short-term and long-term savings. Also, preventing a fatal injury for a worker is priceless. In the short term, many inspection activities are now performed with a two-person team operating the robot without requiring external purchases or contracts, improving time and economic efficiency.

“In the long-term, the technology and the innovation know-how will be kept inside the company, possibly also reaching into other areas requiring state-of-theart technology. We could also adapt the robot to other areas since the platform and its internal software and components are entirely developed in-house, saving and easing the development of other future robotic missions.” Regarding safety, Azpurúa commented: “At the moment, we don’t have calculated specific numbers for this metric as the SpeleoRobot has expanded and replicated its abilities in many operational areas…However, in the period between 2020 and 2021, the robot has allowed several inspections that otherwise could not be performed since the risks are too high for any human, e.g., dams, galleries, and pipe inspections.” � Digital Edition - February 2022

34

USA UPDATE

Pundits wary of industry optimism While US Steel’s head honcho Dave Burritt quite rightly celebrates his company’s record profits, a potential invasion of Ukraine by Russia could set the cat among the pigeons. By Manik Mehta*

THE New Year did provide the morale uplifting momentum to many in the steel industry, as US Steel announced its impressive 2021 result, with the company’s president and CEO Dave Burritt appearing elated and mouthing optimism after the company achieved record profits in 2021.

Highlighting US Steel’s record $4.174 billion profit in 2021, Burritt averred in a conference call with investors: “2021 was an exceptional year. It puts us on a path for another strong year in 2022,” adding that “we delivered for our stakeholders in 2021, achieving record performance across nearly every part of our business, record earnings, record EBITDA and record EBITDA margin, record free cash flow and record safety, quality and reliability performance”.

Helped by the record surge in steel prices, US Steel performed well last year, achieving a profit exceeding $1 billion in the last quarter of 2021. Although prices of hot-rolled steel have, meanwhile, stabilized at what experts call ‘reasonable levels’, and tariffs have given way to quotas with trading partners, Burritt said that his company was optimistic about the market outlook, adding his famous line that ‘this is just the beginning’. The company would continue with the progress in 2022 and even beyond. Despite the fact that the

‘market is certainly looking for every reason to be negative about the prospects for this year, we continue overwhelmingly positive’, adding in the same breath that the ‘first quarter will be seasonally weak … but we believe this is just temporary’, given that the macro backdrop was favourable.

US Steel’s optimism is based on the premise that the robust demand will continue. With plants in Gary and Portage, US Steel caters to a constituency of customers in diverse sectors such as automotive, appliances, services and construction. The company’s reading is that demand in the automotive sector, for instance, will be sustained by its increased production expected to touch two million more this year while attempting to resolve the semiconductor shortages.

Recipe for success Burritt expects supply chain problems and inflation to ease, accompanied by high saving rates and pent-up demand in the markets served by his company. He called it a ‘recipe for success’ in steel, with demand accelerating.

According to Burritt, the company, which is building a new $3 billion mini-mill in Arkansas, was making strategic investments to expand its capabilities to become a better not bigger steel producer. “And we are going to move faster not slower in 2022 … because, as we like to say, we can’t get to the future fast enough.”

Though some uncertainty is visible among steel producers, voices in the industry have played this sense of uncertainty which started to spread in early 2022 as steel prices continued to decline and inventories piled up.

Burritt described the situation as ‘seasonal demand weakness that will soon dissipate’. He maintained that ‘we remain overwhelmingly positive’ during the conference call but conceded that the Q1 results probably would slip from its strong Q4 sales and profit growth.

A day earlier, Nucor executives also played down the growing concern in the industry over the Q1 growth, saying that the

* USA correspondent Digital Edition - February 2022

www.steeltimesint.com

USA UPDATE

weakness was temporarily caused by supply chain and COVID-related disruptions that should improve. Indeed, Nucor CEO Leon Topallan, during an earnings call, described the outlook and overall demand across every end market served by Nucor as ‘very robust’.

Nevertheless, steel imports into the US are expected to rise in 2022, exerting pressure on prices which touched record levels in 2021. But steel industry pundits contend that imports will not rise to ‘extremely high levels’ but will increase from the low levels of 2019-2020.

John Anton, director of pricing and purchasing at IHS Markit, stated in media comments that the steel import figures next year may appear as a spike, but this is mainly because imports since 2018 have been abnormally low due to tariffs, the coronavirus pandemic and logistics issues.

Ukraine uncertainty The steel industry has also been closely watching the situation in Ukraine, with Russia, as some say, poised to launch an attack on Ukraine. The US steel industry is concerned that an outbreak of the conflict could create problems, considering US steelmakers rely on Russia and Ukraine for shipments of pig iron and steel slabs used to produce raw steel at electric arc furnace (EAF) steel-producing companies, and also for rerollers for producing flat-rolled products.

A military conflict between Russia and Ukraine could result in one – or both – of the countries facing severe foreign trade problems for an indeterminate period creating supply shortages of steelmaking raw materials in the US. Both Russia and Ukraine have emerged over the years as important pig iron suppliers to the US, accounting for more than 60% of the imports coming in since 2018. Pig iron is also supplied by Brazil, which accounts for 20% of US pig iron imports. However, Brazilian pig iron has

www.steeltimesint.com

higher phosphorous which steelmakers do not generally prefer. South Africa and India are also increasing their pig-iron supplies to the US. Nevertheless, US companies are also going to look at Canadian steelmaker Stelco, which has added a pig-iron caster at its plant in Hamilton, Ontario. The caster will enhance Stelco’s productivity and allow it to continue producing pig iron when finished steel demand declines.

The Biden administration has already warned Russia that it could face sanctions if there is an attack on Ukraine. Sanctions would cut off trade flows. Another export item from Russia that could be hit by sanctions would be slab, thus increasing costs.

Other slab-supply countries that could benefit from sanctions against Russia will be Brazil and Mexico.

There are also strategic moves being made by some US steel companies to enhance productivity by resorting to the use of high-end technology.

US Steel is investing, for instance, in Carnegie Foundry, a leading robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) studio. The two will partner in boosting industrial automation driven by advanced robotics and AI.

Carnegie Foundry will use this investment to speed up venture opportunities, commercializing and scaling its industrial automation portfolio of robotics and AI technologies in advanced manufacturing,

35

automated warehouses and supply chains, industrial robotics, integrated systems, autonomous mobility, voice analytics and more.

Cutting edge Carnegie Foundry, in partnership with the National Robotics Engineering Centre at Carnegie Mellon University, develops and commercializes cutting-edge intellectual property and advanced prototypes.

Meanwhile, Nucor announced that it is modernizing its mill in Crawfordsville, Indiana, by adding a construction grade continuous galvanizing line and pre-paint line as part of a US$ 290 million investment in the steel sheet mill.

The company said the construction-grade continuous galvanizing line will have a capacity of 300kt/yr and the pre-paint line will have a capacity of 250kt/yr.

Nucor executives have been saying that the investment in the Indiana mill would allow the company to enhance its profitability in the Midwest construction region and expand Nucor’s pre-paint footprint. Nucor executives describe this investment as part of ‘our strategy to grow our core steel businesses and expand our portfolio of value-added products’.

Many steel companies in the US, conscious of the growing propensity to produce ‘clean steel’, a euphemism for lowering emissions, are taking measures aimed at reducing environmental pollution.

Steel production leads to certain airborne emissions. Steel manufacturing entails very high temperatures for both smelting and processing. These combustion processes generate some emissions of nitrogen oxides and dust, for example. The steel industry is working to reduce emissions through different measures, including more efficient use of energy, modified production processes and cleaning equipment. These measures will be supported by other steps aimed at reducing emissions; this trend is expected to strengthen in the industry. �

Digital Edition - February 2022

36

INDIA UPDATE

Moving on up!

Now that Tata Steel has acquired the interests of Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) it looks as if a 10-fold capacity increase is on the cards, says Dilip Kumar Jha* WITH around 100 million metric tonnes (Mmt) of iron ore reserves, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) is now eyeing a 10-fold increase in steel production capacity by 2030 after Tata Steel’s subsidiary Tata Long Products Ltd recently announced the acquisition of the government’s 93.71% stake in NINL. Incorporated in 1982, NINL has a current production capacity of 1Mmt/yr which the company wants to increase to 10 Mmt/ yr in the next eight years under the new management. Strategically located near Tata Steel’s Kalinganagar unit in Odisha, NINL plans to share its infrastructure, plant and machinery with Tata Steel for optimal utilisation of its own facility and full exploitation of Tata Group’s resources.

India’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had in January 2020 given inprinciple approval for strategic divestment of a cumulative 93.71% equity stake of MMTC, NMDC, Mecon, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), Industrial Promotion

plant to undertake the production and sale of steel products. The company has a 1 Mmt/yr steel production unit which produces pig iron and billets. NINL reported net sales of INR 8.01 billion for the AprilDecember 2019 period, and a loss of INR 8.26 billion; it scaled down its operation thereafter. The Odisha-based steel producer NINL shut down its operation in March 2020.

and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd (IPICOL) and Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) in NINL to a strategic buyer. The government-owned banks and insurance companies, however, decided to continue with their cumulative 6.29% stake in NINL. NINL was set up as an integrated steel

Tata bags NINL India’s Finance Ministry announced that Tata Steel Long Products Ltd, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, was the successful bidder in a privatization bid for NINL. The Union Finance Ministry had put its 93.71% stake in NINL on sale to meet the government’s divestment target. The bid had attracted

Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd : Shareholding pattern Government companies

Stake (%)

Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC)

49.78

Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC)

20.47

Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd (IPICOL)

12

National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC)

10.10

Banks and insurance companies

6.29

Mecon Ltd

0.68

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL)

0.68

Source: Ministry of Steel, Government of India

* India correspondent Digital Edition - February 2022

www.steeltimesint.com

INDIA UPDATE

37

participation from leading steel giants in India including JSW Steel Ltd. But, the disinvestment department of the government of India declared Tata Steel Long Products Ltd as the successful bidder with the highest bid worth INR 121 billion (US$1.3 billion). To finance this acquisition, Tata Steel plans to raise INR 133 billion (US$1.7 billion). The acquisition by Tata Steel includes (hassle-free) NINL’s 2,500 acres of land. In India, acquisition of land and rehabilitation of inhabitants for setting up a greenfield steel project remains challenging. The acquisition of such a large piece of land, adjacent to Tata Steel’s existing Kalinganagar plant, offers an immense opportunity for Tata Steel to scale up the Group’s overall operation.

Tata Steel posted 16% growth in crude steel production to 14.16 Mmt for the period April to December 2021. Total deliveries jumped by 4% to 13 Mmt on account of India’s continued post-Covid economic recovery. NINL will help Tata Steel achieve its target to double its steel production capacity by 2030.

Considering depreciation of plant and machinery coupled with other variable costs, NINL accrued a total loss to the exchequer of nearly INR 60 billion (US$800 million). Now, the new management under Tata Steel plans to restart this 1Mmt per annum steel plant immediately which will be scaled up to a 4.5 Mmt/yr state-of-the-art long products complex over the next few years. The production capacity at this plant is proposed to be further increased to 10 Mmt per annum by 2030. The acquisition of NINL is strategically important and critical if Tata Steel is to build such a long products complex. The plant will have synergies to utilise its expertise in operating excellence, mining and project management to transform NINL into a state-of-the-art, competitive and sustainable enterprise in future.

While Tata Steel’s growth in flat products would be pursued through the Jamshedpur plant in Jharkhand and its existing plant at Kalinganagar in Odisha, NINL will become a hub for long products in future.

Seller growth in long steel products The Joint Plant Committee (JPC) under the Union Ministry of Steel estimated India’s long steel production at 42.89 Mmt for the period April to December 2021. Despite the second wave of the coronavirus (Covid) pandemic disrupting construction of infrastructure and housing projects in the quarter between April and June 2021, India continued with its stellar consumption figure of long steel products (41.70 Mmt) for the period April to December 2021. Robust consumption growth in India’s long steel products can be attributed to the government’s ongoing emphasis on infrastructure development. Rapid urbanisation has also led to an increase in long steel consumption.

Going forward, the long products segment in India is poised to witness phenomenal growth as India builds its infrastructure and industrialisation through the ‘atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) programme of the government. The acquisition of NINL will help Tata Steel leverage its capability in the long products business using its strong brand equity, particularly in the retail construction segment, and its extensive, pan-India retail and distribution network to drive scale and profitability. It will also facilitate growth in downstream solutions and speciality high-end products catering to customers in the construction, automotive and heavy engineering segments. � www.steeltimesint.com

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DECARBONISATION

Bringing forward the green transition

“If we can resolve the question of power supply and environmental perm

then we can make the transition 15 years earlier than the plan commun Martin Lindqvist, president and CEO of SSAB. The board of Swedish steelmaker SSAB has taken a policy decision to ‘fundamentally transform Nordic strip production and accelerate the company’s green transition’. In light of strong demand for fossilfree steel, Swedish steelmaker SSAB plans to replace its existing steelmaking processes with new minimill technology. The end result, claims the company, will be a broader product programme and an improved cost position. SSAB claims that it intends to largely eliminate carbon dioxide emissions by around 2030, 15 years earlier than originally planned. To achieve this, however, the necessary infrastructure – access to fossil-free electricity in particular – must be in place in time.

Digital Edition - February 2022

“OUR customers are demanding fossilfree products from SSAB. We can solve the technical challenges and we have a strong financial position. If we can resolve the question of power supply and environmental permits together with society, then we can make the transition 15 years earlier than the plan communicated previously,” says Martin Lindqvist, president and CEO of SSAB. Lindqvist said that SSAB can finance the plan through its own cash flow. He believes that the end result will be a broader product programme and an improved cost position. www.steeltimesint.com

DECARBONISATION

mits together with society, nicated previously.”

Today’s decision means a transformation of SSAB’s other Nordic production sites over the next 10 years, which is considerably faster than its earlier objective of 2045. The first step will be to develop a more detailed transformation plan for each production site. The order of site transformation will depend, among other things, on the availability of the necessary infrastructure, in particular access to competitive electricity.

The plan means that all SSAB’s emissions will be largely eliminated at the beginning of the next decade, which will mean an emission reduction of more than 8Mt of carbon dioxide a year, compared with www.steeltimesint.com

39

present levels. The investment, says SSAB, will enable a reduction of around 10% in Sweden’s total carbon dioxide emissions and around 7% in Finland’s.

On a global level, SSAB claims to be leading the green transition in the steel industry through its ‘unique HYBRIT initiative’.

The company is driving forward together with its partners, and the conversion at Oxelösund, which has already been planned.

and quenched and tempered steel (Q&T).

An increased dimensional programme with improved tolerances will broaden the offering to the vehicle industry, among others. The plan has a number of advantages: • A broader product programme in special steels and a better product mix with fossil-free products.

• Lower costs through, among other things, more efficient production and significantly shorter lead times.

New production system The intention is to transform SSAB’s Nordic production system based on the current business strategy. The new system will mean increased capacity for premium products, an improved cost position and fossil-free production. Under the new plan, Luleå and Raahe will be transformed into cost-effective minimills, with electric arc furnaces and rolling mills. Borlänge and Hämeenlinna will be further developed in line with the new production processes.

Strategic investments in the new strip production system are expected to total approximately SEK 45 billion (US$4.7 billion) during 2022-2030. At the same time, this will eliminate the need to invest in existing systems with blast furnaces, steel plants and rolling mills.

• The elimination of carbon dioxide emission costs, as the blast furnaces are decommissioned.

• Increased flexibility to respond to business fluctuations once the transformation has been completed.

Broader product programme The investment will result in a broader offering of SSAB’s premium products, advanced high-strength steel (AHSS),

Financing through cash flow SSAB has a strong financial position and the assessment is that the company can finance the strategic investment programme through its own cash flow. The permit processes for Luleå and Raahe will start during 2022.

“We now have a unique opportunity in Sweden and Finland. An accelerated fast transformation of the industry will allow us to create new fossil-free value chains and secure jobs in Nordic industry for the future.

We will increase SSAB’s earnings, while rapidly reducing carbon dioxide emissions and making a significant contribution to the climate and the transition of society,” says Martin Lindqvist. � Digital Edition - February 2022

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STAINLESS AND SPECIAL STEELS

41

Winds of change

How can a building with a roof as thin as paper withstand typhoon force winds? A new airport in Qingdao, China, shows the world how it’s done: with molybdenum-alloyed stainless steel.

Known for its famous beer, Qingdao is also a major industrial and financial centre. With its new infrastructure, the city hopes to attract more air travellers. The star-shaped airport features the world’s largest continuously welded stainless steel roof, just 0.5 millimetres thick.

By Gaetano Ronchi* and Martina Helzel**

* IMOA Greater China Representative, ** IMOA consultant www.steeltimesint.com

Digital Edition - February 2022

42

STAINLESS AND SPECIAL STEELS

STANDING-SEAM metal roofs, common in large construction projects, are susceptible to failure in adverse weather conditions such as high winds and heavy rain. A technique known as continuous-seam welding takes the resilience of metal roofs to a new level. Qingdao’s new Jiaodong International Airport incorporates this flexible welding method on its ferritic stainless steel roof. Upon its inauguration in 2021, the Jiaodong airport will be the largest in Shandong province.

Welcoming in all weather Qingdao is a major seaport, naval base and industrial centre in eastern China. Briefly occupied by Germany at the turn of the 20th century, Qingdao features soaring gothic churches alongside a 2,200-yearold preserved ancient town. These antique fixtures mingle with modern architecture, including the new airport. The Jiaodong airport will be one of the most advanced commercial airports in China, twice the size of London’s Heathrow. It will serve over 35 million passengers annually, with flights taking off and landing as frequently as every 73 seconds – one of the busiest in the country. The airport features two runways, each 3,600 metres long, and a 450,000 square metre terminal building. It is also designed to capture, store and recycle rainwater for later use.

The new airport replaces the existing Qingdao Liuting International airport.

Built in a dense part of the city, the original airport had no room to expand to accommodate a growing number of annual passengers. The Jiaotong airport is further out of the urban core, about 60 kilometres from the city centre. However, it is only 25 kilometres from the Yellow Sea and even closer to Xiaocha Bay, exposing it to high levels of corrosive salts. The city also experiences seasonal strong rains, high wind pressure and moderate typhoons. To welcome travellers in all kinds of weather, stainless steel, with its excellent ductility, corrosion-resistance and yield strength, spans the entire roof of the building.

Learning from mistakes Metal roofs have been preferred for covering large structures, such as airports, stadiums, convention centres, as well as commercial and industrial buildings, for decades. These roofs are light, easily and efficiently assembled, attractive and have low-life cycle costs, making them crucial Digital Edition - February 2022

Strong winds can lead to leakage or even lifting of conventional standing-seam metal roofs, as they are only clipped in place.

in large venue construction. Among metal roofs, the “standing-seam” variation, consisting of interlocking metal panels, is most popular. However, because of the need for a minimum slope to allow for efficient rain drainage, this system is not suitable for flat or very low-pitched roofs.

Standing-seam roofing is characterized by roll-forming of coiled metal to form U-shaped panels of the required length, with subsequent joining of the vertical ‘legs’ along their long sides. Depending on the system used, the legs are folded, hemmed, snapped or clipped together. The panels are generally attached to the roof deck with an invisible clip that is fastened to the substructure, without any visible screws punching through the roofing panels.

However, in areas with typhoons and

other extreme weather like Qingdao, large roofs can be susceptible to wind uplifts that result in water leakage. The long joints between the panels are particularly vulnerable. These connections work well in most situations, but in a very heavy wind, the lower pressure above the roof panel creates uplift like an airplane wing. The force on the metal sheets causes the joints, that are only mechanically fastened, to loosen, disengage or even pull apart. Such damage often causes leaks or, in extreme cases, the metal cover to rip off.

Besides the direct cost of roof repair or replacement, any unscheduled construction at an airport is hugely disruptive.

Construction not only causes delays but also ripple effects such as increased traffic and congestion in the surrounding areas, www.steeltimesint.com

STAINLESS AND SPECIAL STEELS

43

A fully automatic welding machine joins and seals the stainless steel panels. Clips which are anchored to the roof substructure are simultaneously incorporated into the weld

as well as compromised travel and freight shipment. Fortunately, continuous-seam welded stainless steel roofing provides a solution to both joint damage and roof uplift from wind.

A better solution The continuous welding method for stainless steel standing-seam roofs originated in Northern Europe in the 1960s.

However, the method remained more of

a niche technology in Europe. It is utilized primarily for flat metal roofs, where other metal roofing systems cannot be used.

An emerging need for corrosion-resistant, wind-resistant and waterproof buildings made this kind of metal roofing increasingly compelling in Japan. Introduced in the 1980s, the continuous-seam welding method is nowadays a well-established technology there, as well as in neighboring South Korea. In Japan and elsewhere, these

systems are incorporated formally into the Steel Roof Construction Standard. For China, where aluminum and galvalume metal roofs dominate, stainless steel roofing represents a paradigm shift.

Thanks to the strength and corrosion resistance of stainless steel, it is possible to design an exceptionally thin roof covering.

Using less material is not only cost-effective but also environmentally responsible.

Increased strength and corrosion resistance

With stainless steel roofing systems, connections to skylights, exhausts, gutters or drain pipes can easily be integrated and completely sealed.

www.steeltimesint.com

Digital Edition - February 2022

44

STAINLESS AND SPECIAL STEELS

The vast roof of the new Qingdao airport is expected to withstand typhoons and rain storms, which are common in the region

allow stainless steel to withstand a greater variety of environments. Attractive and clean, it also offers the architect unlimited design possibilities, from the simple to the spectacular. Because it does not require any coating, stainless steel is comparatively low maintenance and saves on operating costs. Without any coating, it is also 100% recyclable, and its reflectivity minimizes solar heat gain, which in turn reduces the need for air conditioning. These features, along with its long service life, make stainless steel a sustainable roofing option.

How it works With the continuous-seam welding method, metal panels are welded together continuously along their 90° upward bent legs. To keep them from lifting, L-shaped support clips or cleats are fastened into the substructure at regular intervals, their density depending on the expected wind Digital Edition - February 2022

load. Once the U-shaped panels are set in place between the clips, they are tack welded together with a handheld spot welder to keep them from moving during the final welding process. The permanent weld connects the adjoining legs and incorporates the clips. It is applied just below the tack welds, with a self-propelled automatic resistance welding machine or a handheld welding machine at joints and corners. This highly efficient method fully seals the roof skin and dramatically improves the roof’s ability to resist wind.

The standing-seam weld is easy to access, inspect and repair if necessary, ensuring a perfect seal. To finish the seam, it is either folded over by a crimping machine or a stainless steel cap is installed, protecting the joint while making it both safe and attractive.

Because the stainless steel sheets are only 0.5 mm thick, they can be cut and

bent easily with roofing hand tools and welded where necessary to fit custom geometries around skylights, ventilation ducts, roof junctions and others. However, good workmanship involving experienced craftspeople is paramount in ensuring a high quality roof.

Incorporating the method at Jiaodong airport The continuous-seam welded stainless steel roofing technology makes its debut in China at the new Qingdao Jiaodong Airport. Its location near the sea is highly corrosive and experiences both seasonal torrential rain and typhoon-level wind loads. The China Southwest Architecture Design and Research Institute Co. (CSWADI) in Chengdu and Beijing Qixia Architectural Technology Co. in Beijing conducted comprehensive studies beforehand, to develop the custom solution. They included www.steeltimesint.com

STAINLESS AND SPECIAL STEELS

wind tunnel measurements and a study of corrosion resistance, thermal expansion and mechanical properties. Not only the roofing but also the substructures had to be extensively analyzed and optimized.

In the end, an ultra-pure ferritic stainless steel 445J2 produced by TISCO was chosen, with a thickness of 0.5 mm. This is substantially thinner than most metal sheet used for roof coverings. The U-shaped panels have a width of 400 mm. The 445J2 stainless steel grade contains 2% molybdenum and 21% chromium, making it much more corrosion resistant than other standard roofing metals, and even more resistant than Type 316 stainless steel.

This translates to both significantly longer service life and lower maintenance costs.

Ferritic stainless steels are priced attractively and are popular for roofing because of their higher strength and lower coefficient of thermal expansion compared to austenitic stainless steels. The lower thermal expansion coefficient, similar to that of carbon steel, reduces distortion of the panels as they expand due to solar heating.

The designers chose a shallow embossed surface finish that reduces reflectivity and glare, important for air traffic safety.

The embossing makes for a safer roof by improving slip resistance and rigidizes the panels, making them stronger. The embossing also absorbs some of the thermal expansion and contraction from temperature variations, reducing distortion and ‘oil canning’ of the panels. Oil canning describes a mostly visual effect, which makes flat metal panels look wavy.

The installation of the 220,000 square metre stainless steel airport terminal roof, equivalent to 31 standard soccer fields, was completed at the end of 2019.

The roof has already proven its excellent performance, withstanding the torrential rains and typhoon winds that occasionally ravage Qingdao.

Since then, the same grade of stainless steel has been used for three other largescale roofing projects in China, including a convention centre in Pintan city, Hunan province, a stadium in Shantou, Guangdong Province and the new

45

Zhanjiang airport scheduled to open in 2022, also in Guangdong Province. This flourish of continuously-welded stainless steel roofing activity signals increasing acceptance of the material as highly costeffective roofing.

The unique properties of stainless steel roofs greatly expand the possibilities for design and location of new projects.

Unlike traditional standing-seam roofs, continuously-welded stainless steel roofs are completely watertight, making them suitable even for flat, low slope and undulating roofs. Securely anchored to the substructure, these roofs can sustain major storm force winds.

When an appropriate molybdenumcontaining stainless steel is selected, they also resist corrosion, even in marine environments like Qingdao. The incredible thinness and flexibility achieved with stainless steel roofing enable designs once thought impossible to properly function.

For the Jiaodong airport and other roof construction with continuous-seam welded stainless steel, the sky is truly the limit! �

SIGN UP TODAY TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE COPY Furnaces International brings readers a selection of technical features focusing on all aspects of the international furnaces market, as well as industry news, investments, and the latest products and projects Published quarterly in a digital format, Furnaces International and the new monthly newsletter, are sent to the inbox of over 25,000 industry professionals.

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CONFERENCE REPORT

Fairness over all

This month, industry experts met online to review the inaugural year of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). It has by no means been an easy ride, with pandemic conditions, industry instability, and rocketing energy prices – but the drive for success is apparent wherever you look. By Catherine Hill* THE palace of Westminster, first built over 1,000 years ago, is the literal and metaphorical centre of UK politics; a metonym for both the British parliament and government. Roughly 50 miles away in a small suburban town in the south, I attended the Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum – now held exclusively online – with a leaking pipe in the adjacent flats as a replacement for the River Thames. Times have changed. Palaces are of the past, sofas have replaced the woolsack, and Wi-Fi speeds are the new traffic jams. There has never been a better time to review the transformation that has taken place in a very short period of time.

This February, just over a year after the UK’s departure from the European Union and the formation of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS), the Westminster Energy,

Environment & Transport Forum met online to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and priorities the scheme had, does, and will encounter.

There was a mood of quiet pride, among many experts, of what had been achieved against the odds of a global pandemic, and often limited government support.

Alex Cunningham MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on carbon capture, utilisation and storage opened the conference with gratitude for the ‘progress that had been made, thankfully’, but all the success was not without concern he added, with anxieties ‘highlighted by EU legislation and rising energy prices’. It was clear that the achievements the year had brought while being impressive, did not guarantee later success; and what lofty goals lay in the UK ETS’ future would only be accomplished

through carefully wrought out structures, made years in advance.

Lord Deben, chairman of the Climate Change Committee, called to mind the isolationist values that had become increasingly commonplace as a result of Brexit, and its consequential policy changes; ‘‘The first thing we have to recognise is that whatever we have to say about ‘stand-alone this’ and ‘stand-alone’ that….. we are working within an international community and that has to be recognised to win the global battle’’. The goal of the UK, according to Lord Deben, was to take on a ‘role of leadership within climate change,’ and focus on the challenging but attainable goal of net zero. The topic of Brexit was also touched on by Lord Deben, who emphasised the challenges to adapting to life outside of the EU as the UK ETS,

* Editorial assistant, Steel Times International Digital Edition - February 2022

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CONFERENCE REPORT

which has replicated much of the EU ETS’ infrastructure in an attempt to mimic the same success. However, the sentiment was not one that wished to sustain imitation, as Lord Deben commented on the opportunity to create a ‘national ETS that is sufficiently strong to provide the pressure we need’. By being independent of the EU ETS, Lord Deben felt that it granted to the UK a unique opportunity to assert the force necessary to achieve the goals required – rather than following allocated strategies which might not take on the same precedence for British industry. That being said, there had to be, in his eyes, a ‘fair transition’, which took ‘careful view’ that the effect of the ETS is to lower emissions in Britain, not force people out of the country. Lord Deben raised the issue in the assumed tautology of what was often named a ‘just and fair transition’, saying that both had largely separate meanings and conditions – with ‘just’ being a legal term, while ‘fair’ implies treatment that is emotive and interpersonal. For

www.steeltimesint.com

Lord Deben, a ‘just’ transition, is not enough – it needs to be recognised that being fair is the ‘only way we will get to net-zero’ as if the weight fell on people who shouldn’t bear it, then people will not ‘do what needs to be done’.

The conference then continued to discuss the first year of the UK ETS, and the consequential priorities going forward.

Dr Ralf Martin, programme director at the London School of Economics and Political Science commented on the ‘Schrodinger’s emissions rating system’– which accused the ETS of both failing to reduce emissions, and of ruining competitiveness. ‘‘Both’’, said Martin ‘‘cannot be true’’. Working out the efficacy of any system in figures is a complex matter; crises such as COVID-19 can occur at the same time policies are introduced making it hard to work out base success, as well as the immaturity of the UK ETS creating difficulty in knowing what to expect. However, Martin felt the success of the EU ETS, which has reduced emissions by 8% on average while not reducing employment, carries positive implications for the UK ETS, as it continues to evolve strategies and structures to best fit its goals. Not all success driven by the EU ETS promises results for the UK, however, as speakers criticized the current climate policies in the UK which are felt to be

47

too weak to create incentive to change, with relative prices still often favouring high carbon choices. A method that was suggested to level the playing field was to enact a ‘sector-led approach’ – with carbon policies being designed at a sector level addressing ‘sociological issues individual to each sector’. The UK ETS is not, in the minds of experts, ‘a silver bullet’ – as it needs to form part of the policy package within the UK as a route to net zero. The need for a tailored, sector-led approach is paramount, especially within the contexts of industries such as shipping, of which the global levy offers a simple approach but will not necessarily accelerate the process for decarbonisation as there would be no incentive to switch fuel types.

Adam Berman, European policy director of the International Emissions Trading Association opened a discussion on Phase 4 of the EU ETS, saying that its international prospects allow it to reach climate targets ‘cheaper and faster’ as a larger market is a ‘more efficient market’.

Linkage, a policy that is often brought up in conjunction with emissions trading schemes (which effectively is the idea of joining together various schemes as a result of their increasing popularity worldwide) is a crucial way to find solutions to global problems, according to Berman. His hope

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CONFERENCE REPORT

is that the UK chooses the EU ETS for linkage, as both have the same level of environmental ambition, maturity, and pricing. Unfortunately, Berman’s hopes are not yet to be fulfilled – as the British Government has showed little interest in linkage so far, with British companies now at a competitive disadvantage because they pay higher carbon prices. Berman did concede, however, that companies can work together through Article 6 of the Paris agreement – which allows countries to make use of its national and international successes. Competitiveness, as well as co-operation was an ongoing theme of the conference, with Laith Whitwham, senior policy officer at Aldersgate Group, explaining strategies to drive net zero while supporting industrial competitiveness. One method, Whitwham said, was to introduce complimentary policy measures, as well as a market for low carbon products in order to enable decarbonisation across industries.

Overall however, he maintained that the emissions trading scheme needed to be an incentive, not a blunt force; with a carbon price in the 2020s that inspires learning and change, and then evolving by the 2030s to

incur penalties.

As much as opportunities existed for climate change development, speakers at the conference avoided focusing solely on positive expectations and hopes; as the many barriers to decarbonisation are increasingly harder to ignore. Richard Woolley, head of energy and climate change at the Chemical Industries Association, spoke on the matter of ‘green premiums’; the greater cost of sustainable technologies compared to its traditional equivalent, as well as increasing UK costs in gas and electricity prices (with prices currently over 80% higher than the EU median.) The high prices of these markets create a need for fuel alternatives which are financially accessible to a global market, as well as significant support from the UK government. In Woolley’s eyes, the money exists – it just needs investment in the relevant sectors and strategies. In terms of the aviation sector, fuel alternatives have never been more crucial. The need to not only improve aerospace technology, but to make the switch to sustainable fuels as opposed to fossil fuels is what is driving the industry towards sustainability goals.

However, the matter of changing fuels within the aviation sector is complex due to the nature of international flights – which do not follow UK ETS, or EU ETS policies.

This being said, speakers were confident that strategies could be put in place to dampen the impact of high costs, as well as international policies – but investments would be crucial to accelerate the change that the UK requires.

Rachel Armstrong, director of industrial decarbonisation and emissions trading, brought the conference to a close, with a retelling of the UK ETS’ beginnings, challenges, and priorities. Much like Lord Deben, and other speakers had emphasized, ‘affordability and fairness’, said Armstrong, were ‘necessary for all considered future innovations’. Change, and quick change would be required to fulfil the net zero by 2050 goal – however, the rapidity of the change could not be hinged upon substitutes, which implicate wider sociological complications. In the eyes of the speakers, it has been a year in which the UK ETS has managed to, despite all, find its feet – but the greater challenges are yet to emerge once it starts to run. �

“The first thing we have to recognise is that whatever we have to say about

‘stand-alone this’ and ‘stand-alone’ that…..we are working within an international community and that has to be recognised to win the global battle.”

LORD DEBEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE

Digital Edition - February 2022

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DIGITALISATION

Accurate data is crucial With 1,500Mt of steel produced each year, half of which is used by the construction industry, ensuring that any and all product information is recorded with pin-point accuracy is now vital. Lee Jones* explains how digital construction information and specification is improving building processes, making them safer and more efficient and how manufacturers can navigate common pitfalls around ‘greenwashing’ in a competitive landscape.

“The importance of honest and accurate digital data: how manufacturers can ensure safety, improve efficiency and remain transparent”

FOR those in the steel industry and the wider sector, the rise of digital construction is producing marked improvements in the way that steel products, fabricated or otherwise, are specified. At the heart of these developments is the role of digital data, raising safety, sustainability and efficiency – while boosting sales potential.

It’s a sentiment reflected by those within the industry too. NBS’ Digital Construction Survey1 found that 80% of respondents think ‘adoption of digital technologies is delivering a better built environment’ and

that three quarters (75%), ‘that it improves sustainability’.

The role of digital data is also a building block in forthcoming UK building safety regulations, a key part is achieving the ‘Golden Thread’ of information, this is a digital record of how a building has been designed, built and maintained. Currently an absence of up-to-date building data remains one of its challenges. This is an important backdrop as to why honest and accurate digital data is so crucial and how it’s shaping major changes in the

way manufacturers source, manage and deliver their product information. For steel manufacturers, it could also mark the start of long-term transformation, impacting how they too choose to manage product information and is likely a sign of where future legislation is heading.

Change on the horizon The UK’s Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) is one such area.

Developed by the Construction Products Association following industry-wide

* Head of manufacturing solutions for NBS Digital Edition - February 2022

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Raising awareness With a strong case as to why digital product information can be so beneficial to manufacturers, it’s surprising to see that the management of product information appears low on the marketing priority list for many. In NBS and Glenigan’s recently published, Construction Manufacturers Marketing Report2, it found that just 23% use product information management (PIM) systems. Worrying still, is that 63% use PDFs – a format that once shared cannot be easily updated, presenting a risk that those specifying may end up referring to redundant information.

This is more surprising, given that one in three respondents put managing product information as a ‘barrier to effective marketing’. As the CCPI’s suggestions become more widely adopted, let’s hope perceptions begin to shift, creating a safer built environment for all. for the fabricating of products, proper management of digital data can remove the very real risk of outdated product data making its way into a specification, which could result in major safety issues. Instead, digitally-ready product information offers peace of mind that the right the data is being used in the right specification, so there are never any surprises.

From an environmental perspective – accurate and up-to-date product data is assisting specifiers when looking to build more responsibly. Although steel efficiency is improving and stronger, lighter and more durable products are available, it is still estimated that steel accounts for 7-9% of all direct emissions from fossil fuels. To tackle this issue head on, specifiers need access to a detailed level of information to create lower carbon structures. Yet to do so, product data must first be both honest and accurate. consultation, it has the principle that product information provided by manufacturers must be clear, accurate, upto-date, accessible and unambiguous. While it’s an opt-in choice for manufacturers, the CCPI is pushing for production information to be supplied digitally as industry best practice. Currently, this remains a UK-only development, however it could represent the first phase of a wider European or worldwide roll-out, if it’s seen to be successful.

Improvements to product information management also offer protection. For steel manufacturers who work with third parties www.steeltimesint.com

Staying informed While it is true that for some readers the fall-out of the CCPI may be minimal – after all the physical properties of the steel are pre-defined by their type – suppliers who work with third-parties should not overlook its impact. If steel is being used for the likes of components, then the supplier should always look to maintain complete visibility as to how and where that material is intended to be used. Without it, mistakes could slip through, causing a potential risk to life and complicated legal ramifications.

Improving efficiencies Detailed product information data can also bring improved efficiencies in the internal workings of a business. By ensuring that data is governed and maintained in an accurate and process-driven way, manufacturers can negate the need for constant back and forth from suppliers on the latest product specs.

Like many other industries, data has become central to the steel industry’s value chain. We now utilise digital data to improve record keeping and organisation, be it product information, billing or shipping details. Having a structured data set and methodology can make a big difference to the internal efficiency of a business and help to ‘level up’ customer experience. Again, it represents another step towards creating a digital timeline of decision making – the ‘Golden Thread’.

Understanding your green credentials The theme of transparency is also something that extends to the sustainability claims of products and materials. In an increasingly competitive market place, it’s understandable that manufacturers are trying to gain an edge over competition – and sustainability is now high on the agenda. NBS’ Construction Manufacturers Marketing Report also reflects this feeling – 82% voted sustainability as the second most important driver for change set to influence manufacturer marketing.

But care needs to be given to the way Digital Edition - February 2022

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DIGITALISATION

that materials and products are marketed.

Unsupported claims can potentially mislead, causing possible legal complications and a bad taste in the mouths of customers if the mistake is brought to the attention of the manufacturer, knowingly or otherwise.

The problem is widespread, latest research suggests that 40% of green claims made online could be misleading.

To avoid this, manufacturers should be wary of common pitfalls. The CMA recently launched its Green Claims guide, which aligns quite closely to the requirements of the CCPI, the requirements of which are listed below as a reference point: Generic claims – like “100% natural” or “environmentally friendly” should be avoided as they offer little guidance for specifiers, making it difficult for them to make a judgement call on a product’s green credentials.

Irrelevant claims are those that are no longer relevant in today’s marketplace only serve to paint the manufacturer in a negative light. Make sure that any product claims offer guidance that would be of use to a specifier.

Packaging/graphical trickery are problematice. For example, does the packaging of a product imply that it’s Digital Edition - February 2022

Finally, lack of substance. Be mindful of using claims that have no supporting data or trusted third party accreditation.

eco-friendly when perhaps its credentials can’t support its claims? It’s important for manufacturers to remain honest and truthful around this point.

Ambiguous percentages can be misleading. It is important to offer clarity on what the percentage relates to and how it is linked to a product. “30% more recycled content” gives little in the way of detail.

Keep it honest and accurate The CCPI is widely being seen as a force for good and is even referred to in the UK Government’s ‘Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030’ recommendations. Manufacturers still have a choice whether to subscribe to the scheme so it’s unlikely there will be an immediate take-up. However, as UK legislation around building safety increases, it is likely that at some point, projects will begin to demand that the supply chain subscribes to the CCPI. If and when that happens, manufacturers will need to address how their product information is managed. While this is specific to the UK, other countries are making similar moves, so even if you don’t trade in the UK, it’s worth watching these developments.

We’ve seen how the importance of honest and accurate digital product information can benefit all, but it will also mark a push towards a more sustainable future – giving specifiers the tools they need to ensure our structures of tomorrow abide to the lowest emissions possible. � www.steeltimesint.com

11-12 MAY

Monterrey, Mexico

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10/08/2021 09:47

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AFRICA

A history of corruption proves hard to escape For steelmakers, a small town in Zimbabwe once represented a bustling hub of trade and opportunity.

Almost 40 years later, the reality is a troubling consequence of a state damaged by its own past.

By Catherine Hill* JANUARY 1983, Redcliff, a town in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe, records the hottest day in its history. About 8,933 miles away, in the US, 105.9 million viewers tune in to the last episode of M*A*S*H. A law is passed in the UK that all drivers and front-seat passengers must wear seatbelts.

The back seat passengers are not mentioned in the law. George Lucas releases a third Star Wars film. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times reporter calls the film ‘magnificent’, and gives it four out of four stars. The children of Redcliff begin a new year at its one school. They probably haven’t seen Return of the Jedi, as in January 1983, there is not a cinema in Redcliff. Each class is named after a colour. The children play hockey, rugby, netball and football, and it isn’t until 1987 that another school opens.

The children at this school play hockey, rugby, netball, football, and cricket. Three high schools exist today serving over 35,000 residents. Redcliff is still, even excluding the amount of schools, a small town. It is known often in connection with what it is close to, such as Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city, rather than what takes place within, other than its rich, redcoloured rock – symptomatic of the vast deposits of iron ore and limestone which sit just below the surface. In the thick heat

of January 1983, as the children gathered at their singular school, the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company celebrated its third year of retitlement. Following a civil war, white minority rule in the former colonial state ended, with the Rhodesian Iron and Steel Commission (RISCO) exchanging among other things its first letter as RISCO became Zisco, as well as total political and social reform. A decade later, its number of employees had gone from 2,900 to 5,500, excluding the 50,000 employees who contributed indirectly. Ziscosteel quickly became one of southern Africa’s biggest steel producers. In the town with three schools, rapid industrialisation took centre stage as millions of tons of steel were produced each year, with demand increasing capacity, and capacity escalating demand.

In early 2022, journalist Christopher Mahove visited Redcliff, almost 40 years after 1983. It was a hot day, even for a Zimbabwe summer. Mahove described men in overalls who ‘played checkers outside a closed shop’, ‘old buildings standing derelict’, with ‘shattered window panes’.

The men playing checkers were among the approximately 1,500 remaining Ziscosteel workers sent home on six months’ unpaid leave in February 2016. The company had

been giving the workers flat allowances of US$50 since January 2015, but many workers received as little as US$100 for the whole year. The ‘derelict’ buildings with their shattered panes were once used as store rooms and lodgings for the Chinese contractors of the company. Mahove was staggered by the quietness, the men continuing to come to a workplace that was barely discernible from a demolition zone, that didn’t even register their presence.

With Zimbabwe’s deep rooted history of violence, corruption, and instability, the economic steel surge of the 1980s had many permanent seeming attributes, but was regardless, defiantly hard to sustain.

The atrocities that had been committed to colonise Zimbabwe’s land opened up a vulnerability that has since been exploited; with the struggling steel industry finding relief in small-scale producers, bringing a rush for scrap metal that has brought issues of its own, including a spike in vandalism and metal theft. Two steel factories owned

by Chinese companies, Huamin Steel and Naisonale Investments, recycle scrap to supply steel products and, at peak output, produce between 30 and 40 tonnes of steel per day. The factories are based in Kelvin West, about 230km from Redcliff.

While this makes Kelvin West a new steel

* Editorial assistant, Steel Times International Digital Edition - February 2022

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AFRICA

manufacturing base, it is also described as a ‘bargain hunter hub’, where citizens can source anything from ‘car parts to coffins, to a lunch consisting of cow heels.’ The massive growth in companies like Huamin and Nasionale, has not only impacted Zimbabwe’s steel output – but also its demand for scrap steel, indirectly creating a rise in vandalism – and the targets have become increasingly disparate. Power cables, telephone infrastructure, and railway lines have all fallen victim to theft, and a Zimbabwean scrap dealer was sentenced in January for stealing 112 signposts from graveyards. The companies claim they are not promoting vandalism, but the incentive is hard to ignore; a tonne of scrap metal sells for US$150, but dealers can get up to US$300 depending on the day’s market price. Ziscosteel employees are still owed $100 million in outstanding salaries, and according to the Ziscosteel worker’s committee, more than 200 former workers have died since 2011 because they have been unable to pay for medicine or hospital treatment. It is a tragic and perpetuated circle of life, in Redcliff, as workers die, grave signs are stolen, and the scrap is sold to steel companies that are willing to pay. It is not just the steel workers who are left behind as their workplace gathers dust; shops and subsidiary businesses have been forced to shut down, rubbish goes www.steeltimesint.com

uncollected as residents are unable to pay their rates, and water supplies are being cut off as a result of the growing debts owed by Redcliff residents. Some workers’ children have not yet received their exam results because they owe ‘huge amounts in unpaid school fees and levies’. Despite the fact there are only a handful of schools to attend; the evidence of education is lost to the workers that had once profited from land that is now looted for cash.

Many neat terms are used to describe the decline of Ziscosteel: market restructure, rising energy prices, lack of funding, lack of demand. Many of these reasons could to a degree, have been true.

However, to a large extent, Ziscosteel suffered under its own weight; operating without a fully constituted board, making questionable payments and contracts, and passing expenses for hotel bookings and entertainment, rather than repairing its machinery in urgent need of repair.

In 2006, a National Economic Conduct Inspectorate report noted looting of Ziscosteel with the company finances being raided through a ‘gross abuse of resources’. It is as if the scrap metal crime, which followed was simply a restructuring of the corruption which was already taking place from within, in both cases being the result of a need to survive – but later having greater, and more mortal stakes.

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While Ziscosteel remains open as a result of subsidiaries, investments, and a carefully staked debt plan, other companies are stepping in to attempt to revive South African steelmaking. Tsingshan Holding Group, one of China’s largest corporations and a major global producer of stainless steel, is investing heavily in iron ore and coke production in Zimbabwe, as well as a steel plant that alone is worth more than US$1 billion. No timeline has been offered as to when Tsingshan’s new operations will start, but according to statements issued by company officials in March last year, the plant will have capacity to produce 1.2Mt of steel under its subsidiary Zhejiang Dinson Holdings, which already runs a ferrochrome plant in Zimbabwe. This venture, if successful, would echo a return to a more stable steel output, as well as an expectation to reduce scrap metal crime – as new jobs will be created. However, it would be reckless to ignore the presence of scrap dealers who have amassed in an era which welcomed their trade. The promise of a return to factory industry may not represent the same salvation for many as it would for others. In fact, the creation of new plants risks inviting disruption from its threat to an alternate commerce – which ironically, its own failure created. Not every worker is willing to play checkers and wait for opportunity; others have built their business around a lifestyle that while risky, is highly lucrative, with scrap metal being as consistently available as there are trains on tracks. In 2010, Chicago Sun Times reporter, Roger Ebert, reviewed the film Mugabe and the White African, and gave it three out of four stars. ‘It could have looked more deeply,’ he said. For the steel industry of Zimbabwe, today’s challenges face depths greater than those of 1983, following decades of inequality, corruption, and a reckless desperation to survive. � Digital Edition - February 2022

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PERSPECTIVES Q&A: CANVASS

There are many reasons to use AI Industrial AI provider Canvass claims that its software empowers engineers to address the big operational challenges of emissions reduction, lowering costs and optimising energy consumption.

Venkatesh Muthusamy1 and Forogh Askari2 answer this month’s questions.

1.

How are things going at Canvass?

Is the steel industry keeping you busy?

Canvass AI is a provider of industrial AI software that empowers engineers to address their operational challenges, such as reducing carbon emissions, lowering costs, and optimizing energy consumption. Our AI platform is being used by leading metals companies, as well as in the chemicals, oil and gas, food and beverage and energy sectors. We’re seeing huge demand for our software in the steel industry, in particular, as the industry seeks to accelerate the digitization of the operations as they seek to optimize their processes and asset operations, increase productivity and quality and improve their environmental footprint.

3.

In which sector of the steel industry does Canvass mostly conduct its business?

Canvass AI is a purpose-built industrial AI platform to address industrial operational challenges that the steel industry faces, such as improving quality, reducing carbon emissions, lowering costs, and energy optimization.

Using the Canvass AI platform, steel manufacturers are predicting future production throughput and control production quality. Further to this, control room operators are virtually adjusting control variables and are seeing potential changes in real-time on the production process.

4.

Where in the world are you busiest at present?

While the digitization momentum was already building, the COVID-19 pandemic fast-tracked transformation efforts across the globe. As a result, we see industries in all parts of the world proactively seeking out AI solutions to quickly solve their operational challenges.

Venkatesh Muthusamy

7.

What are your views on Industry 4.0 and steelmaking?

Industry 4.0 is paving a data-rich environment for steel manufacturers but only 14% of data is being used to aid decision making because, according to MAPI, 47% of industrial workforces lack the digital skills needed to derive value from the digital investments. Instead, they are relying on teams of data scientists and consultants to prepare their data and build AI models, leaving the domain experts on the sidelines. The Canvass AI platform addresses this challenge by providing a no-code, industrial AI platform that puts the benefits of AI in the hands of industrial engineers by empowering them to extract value from their data in days not months – without requiring coding expertise.

Industry 4.0 technologies, such as AI, will augment human expertise, not replace it.

Forogh Askari

5.

Can you discuss any major steel contracts you are working on?

Across all of our customers in the steel industry, there are common themes that they are looking to achieve using industrial AI such as: how they can boost efficiency, improve product quality, increase throughput and reduce waste. Metals companies are looking for ways to build sustainability into their operations.

2.

What is your view on the current state of the global steel industry?

After the COVID pause, we are now seeing demand for steel spiking. This spike, as well as the need to move to automated and efficient processes in the new world, is pushing steel companies to prioritise their digital transformation plans so that they can keep up with demand.

6.

Where does Canvass stand on the aluminium versus steel argument?

From an AI standpoint, there are a lot of parallels between aluminium and steel manufacturing. Therefore, our solution and the use cases our customers develop can be applied to both industries.

8.

Hydrogen steelmaking, what’s your view?

Hydrogen in steel production is an upcoming field. Using hydrogen as a solution or as a cleaner reducing agent to decarbonize the steel industry is

1. Lead Data Scientist, Canvass AI. 2. Manufacturing industry lead, Canvass AI Digital Edition - February 2022

www.steeltimesint.com

PERSPECTIVES Q&A: CANVASS

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fast gaining attention, especially in the European markets. We believe there is a huge opportunity in helping companies who are using hydrogen to leverage AI to optimize the efficiency of their processes, improve quality and boost productivity.

9.

What can you offer steel producers who are looking for energy efficiency and sustainability solutions?

Improving energy efficiency and sustainability are top priorities for our steel customers. And they have been able to make important advancements in these areas with their existing hardware infrastructure using no-code AI. With Canvass’s no-code AI platform, industrial engineers can extract actionable insights from their data and develop and deploy AI models so they gain predictive insights to control their processes, optimize energy consumption, reduce CO2 emissions, and reduce waste.

10. How quickly has the steel industry responded to ‘green politics’ in terms of making the production process more environmentally friendly?

Steel producers are becoming more and more environmentally conscious and are now demonstrating their commitment to improving the sustainability of their operations. Their investment in digitization is a critical step in this direction. We are seeing them leverage intelligent technologies such as AI to accelerate their net-zero plans.

11. Where does Canvass lead the field in terms of steel production technology?

Canvass AI is a patent-pending no-code, AI-based SaaS platform built specifically for industrial operations. Unlike other solutions, Canvass AI is designed specifically to empower industrial workforces to drive impact across their operations and achieve their market and sustainability goals. This is due to the platform’s automated data transformation and discovery features, industrial-specific AI applications, and model operationalization and deployment integrations that simplify and accelerate the process of applying, scaling, and explaining AI across their operations. Compared to other solutions that rely on consultants or teams of data scientists, Canvass AI is a nocode AI platform that is built for industrial

engineers, the domain experts, so that they extract the value they need to optimize their processes, increase throughput, and reduce their carbon footprint – without coding or data science expertise.

12. How do you view Canvass development over the short-tomedium term in relation to the global steel industry?

Canvass has a key role to play in getting value out of their investments made in digitisation across steel industries. Our mission is to empower their workforce to augment their expertise with the power of AI so that they can use data to solve their operational challenges. Our customers are experiencing improved process optimization and production quality that has resulted in increased product compliance and batch reliability, a reduction in scrap and lower operating costs.

13. What is Canvass’ experience of the Chinese steel industry?

We plan to expand our global presence in China in the near future.

14. Where do you see the most innovation in terms of production technologies?

Innovation is happening across the board as they have common challenges – reducing raw material costs, cutting energy usage and cost, eliminating waste, etc. All are focused on optimizing their products’ processes, assets, and sustainable production. The areas that consume the most energy and have the higher raw material costs/operational costs are being prioritized and will get the best ROI on digital investments.

15. How optimistic are you for the global steel industry going forward?

Increased competition and market viability is a challenge that steel players have to meet head-on. Steel producers need to differentiate from their competitors and be market leaders by producing the highest quality product at the lowest production cost. This is possible now, as steel manufacturers have the data literally on their operations floor. According to IDC, metal companies generate an estimated 1.3TB of data per day, which is expected to nearly double by 2025.

For steel manufacturers to extract value from this data requires investing in digital technologies. The World Economic Forum estimates the value that digitization could unlock for the metals industry in the next decade is a staggering US$400 billion!

16. What events will Canvass be attending in over the next six months?

We have over 30 events such as Hanover Messe, AIST and the Future Steel Forum.

17. Canvass is headquartered in Canada, but what’s happening steelwise in the country?

Steelmakers are accelerating their digital transformation plans and are ready to implement and take advantage of Industry 4.0 technologies.

18. If you possessed a superpower, how would you use it to improve the global steel industry?

To immediately address the steel industry’s environmental footprint challenge. Our superpower would be to have the benefits that will flow in the years to come, being realized tomorrow. � Digital Edition - February 2022

LIGHTENING THE IMPACT OF HEAVY INDUSTRY

SPEAKERS CONFIRMED INCLUDE:

Lord Adair Turner Chair Energy Transitions Commission

Let’s turn talk into action. Hosting top government officials, heads of industry, leading scientists, exciting innovators and the largest international investors, Sustainable Industrial Manufacturing (SIM) in Belgium will provide an opportunity for leadership teams in hard-toabate sectors to find the experts and technology needed for a transition towards net zero.

Andrew Purvis

Pernelle Nunez

Derek Baraldi

Gökçe Mete PhD

Head of Sustainable Finance Investing, Banking & Capital Markets Industry, World Economic Forum

Head of Secretariat, Leadership Group for Industry Transitions (LeadIT) and Research Fellow Stockholm Environment Institute

Cédric de Meeûs

Dolf Gielen

Vice-President, Group Public Affairs & Government Relations Holcim

EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR JUST £485 Includes access to the high level conference, exhibition, roundtable debates, delegate lunch and a plethora of networking opportunities and side events.

SCAN ME FOR THE WEBSITE

Executive Director Mission Possible Partnership

Director Safety Deputy Secretary General Environment and / Director – Sustainability Technology International Aluminium World Steel Association Institute

JOIN THE LEADERS, BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

Organised by:

Anthony Hobley

Director IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre

Christina Sobfeldt Jahn

Head of PPA Origination & Execution Ørsted

Henning Bloech

Ilhan Savut

Director of Sustainability Extruded Solutions Norsk Hydro

Chris Bayliss

Anne-Claire Howard

Global Director Sustainable Solutions Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials

Director of Standards Aluminium Stewardship Initiative

Pinakin Chaubal

Dilip Chandrasekaran

Vice President & Group CTO ArcelorMittal

Dr Jörg Rothermel

Managing Director Energy, Climate Protection, Raw Materials German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)t

Jean-Marc Moulin

Lead Analyst - Circular Economy BloombergNEF

Head of R&D and Technology Kanthal

Philippe Bastien Regional President, Architectural Glass Division AGC Glass Europe

CEO ResponsibleSteel

Stefan Grüll

CEO and Co-Founder S1Seven GmbH

Zakia Khattabi

Minister of the Climate, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Belgium

Sponsored by:

Part of:

REGISTER TODAY www.SustainableIndustrialManufacturing.com

SIM DPS.indd All Pages

17/01/2022 09:42

LIGHTENING THE IMPACT OF HEAVY INDUSTRY

SPEAKERS CONFIRMED INCLUDE:

Lord Adair Turner Chair Energy Transitions Commission

Let’s turn talk into action. Hosting top government officials, heads of industry, leading scientists, exciting innovators and the largest international investors, Sustainable Industrial Manufacturing (SIM) in Belgium will provide an opportunity for leadership teams in hard-toabate sectors to find the experts and technology needed for a transition towards net zero.

Andrew Purvis

Pernelle Nunez

Derek Baraldi

Gökçe Mete PhD

Head of Sustainable Finance Investing, Banking & Capital Markets Industry, World Economic Forum

Head of Secretariat, Leadership Group for Industry Transitions (LeadIT) and Research Fellow Stockholm Environment Institute

Cédric de Meeûs

Dolf Gielen

Vice-President, Group Public Affairs & Government Relations Holcim

EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR JUST £485 Includes access to the high level conference, exhibition, roundtable debates, delegate lunch and a plethora of networking opportunities and side events.

SCAN ME FOR THE WEBSITE

Executive Director Mission Possible Partnership

Director Safety Deputy Secretary General Environment and / Director – Sustainability Technology International Aluminium World Steel Association Institute

JOIN THE LEADERS, BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

Organised by:

Anthony Hobley

Director IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre

Christina Sobfeldt Jahn

Head of PPA Origination & Execution Ørsted

Henning Bloech

Ilhan Savut

Director of Sustainability Extruded Solutions Norsk Hydro

Chris Bayliss

Anne-Claire Howard

Global Director Sustainable Solutions Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials

Director of Standards Aluminium Stewardship Initiative

Pinakin Chaubal

Dilip Chandrasekaran

Vice President & Group CTO ArcelorMittal

Dr Jörg Rothermel

Managing Director Energy, Climate Protection, Raw Materials German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)t

Jean-Marc Moulin

Lead Analyst - Circular Economy BloombergNEF

Head of R&D and Technology Kanthal

Philippe Bastien Regional President, Architectural Glass Division AGC Glass Europe

CEO ResponsibleSteel

Stefan Grüll

CEO and Co-Founder S1Seven GmbH

Zakia Khattabi

Minister of the Climate, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Belgium

Sponsored by:

Part of:

REGISTER TODAY www.SustainableIndustrialManufacturing.com

SIM DPS.indd All Pages

17/01/2022 09:42

60

HISTORY

‘For Sale’ – Langley Mill Iron & Steel Works On Tuesday 6 December 1881 an auction was held ‘at four o’clock in the afternoon precisely’ for the sale of the site and fixed machinery and plant of The Langley Mill Iron and Steel Works, at Langley Mill, Derbyshire, UK. By Tim Smith*

19C Tilt hammer shop

LANGLEY is located 12km NW of Nottingham. The name ‘Langley Mill’ survives today, but the site is now occupied by an Asda supermarket.

The auction took place in Sheffield, some 60km to the north.

The works was well situated, bounded by the Erewash Valley Railway and Midland Railway Company sidings to the west; today, the latter is the London to Leeds main line complete with a station named ‘Langley Mill’. To the south ran a now removed branch line to Barner Walker & Co

and the Butterley Co collieries. (See plan).

This gave close-by access to coal and iron.

The Condar Park Works of Butterley Co were two miles (3.2km) distance and the blast furnaces of the Stanton Iron Works Co, The Erewash Valley Iron Co and the Awsworth Iron Co, were all in the immediate vicinity.

Coal was delivered from nearby collieries at a low price.

Buildings, described as ‘new’ consisted of three forge shops, one with rolling mill, a mill shop, two tilting houses, a Smithy and roll turning shop, a brick kiln, a steel

re-melting house, and an engine and boiler house. Ancillary buildings included two offices, a store, three cottages for the workforce and two managers’ houses. The whole area occupied about three acres (1.2 hectares) and was freehold, except for a small corner in the SW rented from Midland Railway at a nominal amount.

Plant and machinery consisted of one 16” (406mm) mill train for rolling puddled bars, one 12” (304mm) mill train of three-high stands for bar, four steam hammers – one of 50cwt (2.5 tonne), two of 20cwt (1

* Consulting editor, Steel Times International Digital Edition - February 2022

www.steeltimesint.com

HISTORY

tonne) and one of 5cwt (254kg).

Four steam engines powered the plant: One 32” (812mm) cylinder high pressure horizontal steam engine with fly wheel and gearing manufactured by Davy Brothers Ltd, (complete but never used), one 24” (609mm) cylinder engine to drive the threehigh mill train, one 14” (355mm) cylinder engine for the turning shop and also to run fans in the Smithy, and one 12” (30mm) cylinder horizontal engine for driving saws and shears.

Ancillary equipment included lathes for turning mill rolls and for pipe facing, drilling machines, hot shears for cropping bar, and a crane in the turning shop to move rolls.

There were also two steel reheating furnaces in the drawing out shop and a grindstone in its frame.

A 20-ton railway wagon, owned by the company, is recorded in the Midland Railway siding.

The sale There is no record as to who bought the works, and whether it was sold as a single lot or equipment sold off individually, but the site was subsequently occupied by the Vulcan Iron Works of Heanor, Derbyshire, some 1.5km SW of Langley Mill. The Vulcan Iron Works was opened in 1874 and mainly concentrated on the manufacture of railway rolling stock. It started to expanded in size during the 19th and 20th centuries becoming part of the United Steel Companies Ltd in 1958/9 prior to nationalization as part of British Steel in 1967 but closed in 1970.

In 2010, the site was acquired by Asda Stores and an archaeological study of the site was made by Wessex Archaeology prior to its redevelopment. Only remnants of two structures of the later Vulcan Iron Works survived, dating from 1899 along with parts of the eastern wall and some short sections of railway track.

Excavations revealed the foundations of several machine bases, presses and lifting gear. Seven phases of development were identified including the location of the main drive engine, and evidence of remelting and forming wrought iron, steel, and brass.

There is little documentary evidence regarding Langley Iron and Steel Works other than the sale auction described.

The presence of two ‘tilting’ houses on the plan suggests the earlier use of tilting hammers – in which a heavy head, attached to a pivoted shaft, was raised by means

61

Notice of auction of Langley Mill 1881

of a series of cams on a rotating shaft acting on the hammer tail, and allowed to fall under gravity. By the 19C a series of such hammers, run from a common shaft, industrialised the process (see picture).

By the second half of the 19C tilts were obsolete and had evidently been replaced by the steam hammers mentioned since they are not included in the sale inventory. �

Plan of Langley Mill in 1881

Digital Edition - February 2022

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