PJSC ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih proceeds to the final stage of construction of two new continuous casting machines (CCM Nos. 2, 3). Production premises for the new CCMs are built by more than a half, equipment assembling has started. Now it is one of the biggest construction projects of the company in CIS and Africa. The cost of investment project comprises about $144 million. Earlier SMS Group, which developed a detailed engineering for the project, was selected as the supplier of process equipment.
Assembling of 4,200 tons (out of 5,000) of building steel structures has been actually finished by 85%. Filling of 23,000 cubic meters of concrete is finished. 60% of all construction works has been already executed in general. Besides, four core process hoisting cranes were adjusted, assembling of equipment of ladle furnace, water treatment plant, gas cleaning plant, electric substation was started. Works on connection of two buildings – available CCM and two new ones – were also started. Assembling of the gas main towards the gas cleaning plant and process equipment will start soon.
Two new CCMs – with the annual capacity of 1.4 million tons each – will produce high-quality steel billets with the cross-section of 130х130 and 150х150. New machines will enable PJSC ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih to increase production volumes of steel billets used for production of finished rolled products. The plant will be able to produce rebars from the cast billets after modernization of light section mill No. 4 (to be finished by the end of 2018 – beginning of 2019), it will allow reducing the cost and improving products quality.
Construction of a new Steel Continuous Casting Area provides for additional working places both for contractors and for the employees of the company. Now 350 employees from different contractors are simultaneously working at the site. About 300 out of them are Ukrainian workers, and another 50 people approximately are the specialized teams from Turkey and Uzbekistan.
The beginning of hot tests of equipment of CCM No. 3 is planned for Q3. It is planned to get the first billet from CCM No. 2 after three months. Final commissioning of the complex is planned for Q1 2019. This investment project is a part of ArcelorMittal company large investment program of Kriviy Rih plant production facilities modernization. (AMKR/Ukrainian metal)