The Pervouralsky New Pipe Works of Russia has placed orders for the supply of a turnkey electric steelworks with two continuous casting plants. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2008.

The new steelworks will produce the starting material for the existing tube rolling mills of the ChTPZ group and will attain an annual production of 1.1 million tonnes of steel. The product mix comprises carbon steels for the manufacture of pipes for the oil and natural gas industry.

The supply scope of SMS Demag for the new steelworks incorporates a scrap yard, a 120 tonnes electric arc furnace, a 120 tonne ladle furnace and a VD vacuum tank degasser. Also included are the dust extraction plant, laboratory equipment, water treatment plant, steam generating system and a supply system for alloying agents.

Two continuous casting machines will cast the steel into round billets and blooms. Concast AG will supply a five strand caster designed to cast 660,000 tonnes of round billets with diameters of 150mm and 220mm. The second caster will come with three strands to produce 440,000 tonnes of rounds with diameters of 220mm, 460mm and 550mm.

In 2005, PNTZ was acquired by the ChTPZ group which accounts for around 22 % of the entire Russian tube and pipe production.