December 03, 2008

Tenova to supply meltshop to Vallourec & Sumitomo Tubos do Brasil

Tenova Melt Shops has been chosen by Vallourec & Sumitomo Tubos do Brasil Ltda a joint venture formed in mid 2007 by France’s Vallourec and Japan’s Sumitomo, to supply a Greenfield plant in Brazil comprising Consteel an EAF and a Dedusting System.

The facility will be installed at the new seamless steel tube production center to be built in Jeceaba, in the region of Minas Gerais an area with some of the world’s richest iron ore reserves.

The 140 tonne electric arc furnace fitted with the Consteel® system will turn out more than 1 million tonnes of liquid steel a year. Production is expected to begin in 2010.

Mr Raimondo di Carpegna Varini senior vice president of Tenova SpA said that “This is the first Consteel® installation in South America. Moreover the agreement was drawn up in just nine months, a record time for a project of this scale.”

Mr Francesco Memoli area manager North & South America at Tenova Metal Making said that the plant will be the first in the world to use an innovative metal feed mix for an electric steel mill. He added that “The furnace can be charged with up to 80% of solid and liquid pig iron, including more than 50% of hot metal. This combination will guarantee high productivity and cut costs, while the Consteel® technology will reduce environmental impact”.