Severstal plans third Cherepovets EAF

Severstal confirmed the plans after ceo Alexei Mordashov hinted at the introduction of a third EAF and rolling mill during his speech at the 5th MB/WSD Steel Success Strategies Europe conference in Paris last week.

The spokesman said the new EAF and rolling mill will increase finished product capacity to around 13 million by 2011 from around 11.5 million tonnes at present. It is thought that the new equipment will be primarily to produce rebar.

Severstal had previously announced plans to boost Cherepovets’ long product capacity, but specific details have not emerged until now.

The new EAF will be built on a site which currently houses three soon-to-be-decommissioned open-hearth furnaces, according to the spokesman.

Cherepovets has five blast furnaces, two EAFs and seven continuous casters, according to the company’s website. Rolling facilities include three hot and cold rolling shops for flat products, it also produces sections and cold-formed shapes.

MB previously reported that the site will gain an additional galvanizing line and a second polymer-coating line by 2010.

Severstal this year announced plans to build a 1 million tpy rebar mini-mill in Saratov and similar facility producing sections in Nizhny Novgorod.