November 25, 2020
PAO Severstal, one of the world’s largest vertically integrated steel and
mining companies, has resumed deliveries to Alfapipe, a spiral welded steel
pipe manufacturer based in Algeria. Severstal produced 26 thousand tons of X70
grade skelp steel coils to supply to Alfapipe.
X70 Grade Steel is one of the highest-strength steel grades, which enables
it to retain its tough properties in harsh climates, for example at very low
temperatures. These properties allow this grade of steel to be used for to
construct high-pressure pipelines. To fulfil the exact requirements in terms of
metal production and processing, strict adherence to technological parameters
is required at all stages – from production to transportation.
The rolled metal was produced at HR Mill 2000, a part of Cherepovets Steel
Mill (‘CherMk’ – part of the Severstal’s Russian Steel Division). Opportunities
for using new technologies as part of the optimization process have
significantly expanded since the reconstruction of the laminar installation at
HR Mill 2000. The investment project began in Autumn 2019, and involved
replacing the former 1975 installation with a new generation of equipment, at a
cost of RUB 2 billion. The modernization resulted in improvements to the
cooling accuracy of the strip after hot rolling in the mill, which facilitated
the obtainment of uniform mechanical properties along the length and width of
metal products. This will also mitigate potential issues associated with metal
processing in future pipe production. In addition, the new laminar cooling unit
enables Severstal to obtain the key properties required for rolled metal, which
previously could only be achieved with the help of additional alloying
(consumption of ferroalloys) – also reducing the cost of production.
Employees of the Directorate for Technical Development and Quality at
Severstal’s Russian Steel Division, as well as employees at the flat-rolled
product lines of CherMk, were involved in completing the order. Accounting for
the capabilities of the new equipment, they accordingly adjusted the production
technology used for X70 Grade Steel: in applying new technologies, specialists
altered the microstructure of rolled products, achieving higher strength grades
due to a significantly increased cooling rate.
Another requirement was ensuring tight thickness tolerances along the entire
length of the coil, and the recent modernization of hydraulic pressure devices
at HR Mill 2000 enabled Severstal to fulfil the new requirements for thickness
tolerances.
Production and delivery of the rolled metal was carried out in batches over
three months from July to September, in line with the request of the
client.
Kirill Kiryushkin, senior manager for the Energy division at Severstal,
commented:
“Severstal is placing emphasis on developing export routes to supply steel
products to customers in the oil and gas industry. To this end, we are taking
steps to improve both our production technologies and logistics delivery
schemes, taking into account the specific requirements of our customers.”
