ThyssenKrupp begins construction of a furnace in Duisburg

ThyssenKrupp awarded contracts for the construction of a ladle furnace in Duisburg, a port city in western Germany. This will expand the range of high-quality steel for the automotive industry.

The company plans to invest about 40 million euros in the project. Construction is expected to begin in 2017. This will expand the product portfolio of light, high-alloy special steels, for which the demand is growing, especially in the automotive industry.

“Given the uncertainty surrounding the steel sector, the decision to build was not easy,” says Andreas Gossa, President of ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe. The new furnace will have a capacity of 265 tons. The investments include the reconstruction of the steelmaking shop # 2 of the enterprise.

Located between the converter and the continuous casting line, a ladle furnace in out-of-furnace treatment will maintain the temperature of the molten metal, thus improving the energy efficiency of the production process and reducing costs.

The furnace will be used to produce high strength steel containing at least 5 percent alloy addition. Improving the quality and purity of steel will allow the introduction of new, light and strong types of special steels.