November 22, 2008

Voestalpine to expand HSM capacity

Austria’s steelmaker Voestalpine AG has awarded Siemens VAI a contract for upgrading the hot rolling mill at the company’s Linz location, with increasing its capacity from 4.2 million tonnes per year to 5 million tonnes per year.

The works, including renewal of coiler units and installation of a new crop shear, will start in mid 2009 and scheduled for completion in July 2010. HR products range will not change from the current thicknesses of 1.5mm to 15mm and widths of 600mm to 1300mm.

Apart from the above equipment, Linz operates a 5 million tonnes per year melt shop, a cold rolling mill with 2.7 million tonnes per year capacity and three galvanizing lines with total capacity of 1.1 million tonnes per year.

The hot rolling mill upgrading is part of L6 project, aimed at increasing the melt shop capacity from 5 million tonnes per year to 6 million tonnes per year as well as expanding production of HR steel from 4.2 million tonnes per year to 5 million tonnes per year and galvanized coils from 2.1 million tonnes per year to 2.5 million tonnes per year by 2012.