September 08, 2008

ThyssenKrupp inaugurates new BF No 8 in Duisburg

It is reported that ThyssenKrupp Steel AG has inaugurated its new blast furnace 8 in Duisburg on January 28th 2008. The new unit is part of its EUR 340 million program to secure hot metal production for its German plants.

On its 9.5 square kilometer site in Duisburg, ThyssenKrupp Steel operates 4 blast furnaces which produce around 11.5 million tonnes of pig iron per year. Blast furnaces Schwelgern 1 and 2 are among the biggest of their kind in the world. The new blast furnace 8 replaces blast furnace 4, built in 1963, which will serve as a spare in the future. It has invested EUR 250 million in the construction of blast furnace 8 alone. Around EUR 80 million was spent on pollution control equipment. All emissions are well below the limits set by the relevant environmental standards.

Ms Christa Thoben minister for economic affairs of Germany represented the state government of North Rhine Westphalia at the ceremony. She said that “These days a lot is talked about the responsibility of businesses, especially the big players, in connection with globalization. I am therefore all the more pleased to be at ThyssenKrupp.”

Dr Ekkehard D Schulz chairman of executive board of ThyssenKrupp AG said that “This program will ensure Duisburg remains one of the world’s most efficient steelmaking sites with an ideal plant configuration. In the medium term this will secure 1,200 direct jobs and a further 3,600 indirect jobs in the region.”

In addition to the blast furnace program at the Duisburg site, ThyssenKrupp Steel is currently investing around EUR 6 billion in a new steel mill in Brazil.