Cliffs Natural Resources to invest $700 million in Toledo hot briquetted iron plant
July 3, 2017
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Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, announces that it will invest $700 million for the development of its first hot briquetted iron (HBI) production plant, to be located at a site in Toledo, Ohio. Cliffs selected Midrex Technologies to design, engineer, and procure equipment for the new plant, which will have the nominal capacity to produce 1.6 million tons of HBI per year.
The Midrex process is a direct reduction of iron (DRI) technology. According to the Midrex website, the Midrex Shaft Furnace can use natural gas, or a syngas from coal, or coke-oven gas as its reductant. Plants commonly operate in excess of 8000 hours per year. The Shaft Furnace can process either oxide pellets or lump ores to produce HBI.
"Operation of the Midrex Shaft Furnace is uncomplicated and straight-forward. Iron-bearing material is are introduced into the top of a cylindrical, refractory-lined vessel, where it descends by gravity flow and is contacted by upward flowing reducing gas. The reducing gas, which is primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide, reacts with the iron oxide to reduce (remove the oxygen content) and carburize the material prior to discharge. From there the product can be discharged as CDRI, HDRI, HBI or any combination simultaneously."—Midrex website.
Cliffs anticipates breaking ground for the construction of the HBI production plant in early 2018, with the production of commercial tonnage of HBI beginning in mid-2020. Cliffs considers the brownfield site at the Port of Toledo a premier location for development due to its relative proximity to several future customers, as well as its logistics advantages, including affordable natural gas availability and access by multiple rail carriers.
According to Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, "Today's announcement marks a very important strategic milestone for Cliffs as we begin to implement our plans to be the sole producer of high-quality HBI for the EAF steel market in the Great Lakes region. We look forward to the strong margin and earnings potential this new product will generate for Cliffs shareholders.
"We thank Governor John Kasich, JobsOhio, and a number of local partners in the Toledo community for their efforts to help advance this project, including an offer of approximately $30 million in grants and other financial incentives. We will continue to work closely with the State of Ohio through the environmental permitting process."
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is a leading mining and natural resources company. Founded in 1847, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is recognized as the largest and oldest independent iron ore mining company in the United States. It is a major supplier of iron ore pellets to the North American steel industry from its mines and pellet plants located in Michigan and Minnesota. Cliffs also operates an iron ore mining complex in Western Australia.
http://www.cliffsnaturalresources.com
www.midrex.com
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, announces that it will invest $700 million for the development of its first hot briquetted iron (HBI) production plant, to be located at a site in Toledo, Ohio.
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Advanced high-strength steel ore unloading system wins 2017 Swedish Steel Prize
June 14, 2017
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SSAB, Stockholm, announces that the 2017 winner of the Swedish Steel Prize is Kiruna Wagon of Sweden for its Helix Dumper, a highly durable and far more efficient ore-unloading wagon than other ore wagons on the market. The final design included both Strenx structural steel and Hardox wear-resistant steel.
"Kiruna Wagon has successfully updated a good idea and used high-strength steels to turn it into a brand new, superior wagon solution," says Eva Petursson, Chairman of the Swedish Steel Prize jury and head of SSAB's Strategic R&D.
Kiruna Wagon's Helix Dumper is a dumper wagon system for long-haul rail transport and efficient unloading of minerals. Advanced high-strength structural and wear-resistant steels made it possible to design lightweight wagons combined with a stationary Helix terminal for on-the-fly rotary unloading. The ingenious solution has an unloading speed of 25,000 tons per hour, which is twice that of other systems.
Compared with other systems, a complete unloading system for the Helix costs 1/7th of what a rotational wagon costs. In addition, the Helix exploits part of the potential energy of the ore's mass to push the wagon forward as it unloads. This means no extra energy is required, with much less dust and almost no noise.
The winner of the 18th Swedish Steel Prize will receive a statuette by the sculptor Jörg Jeschke and a cash prize of $15,500.
The other finalists were Fermel from South Africa, JMG Cranes from Italy, and Wabash National from the United States.
www.steelprize.com
www.ssab.com
SSAB, Stockholm, announces that the 2017 winner of the Swedish Steel Prize is Kiruna Wagon of Sweden for its Helix Dumper, a highly durable and far more efficient ore-unloading wagon than other ore wagons on the market.
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Alcoa secures contract to export bauxite from its Western Australia mine
January 4, 2017
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Alcoa Corp., Pittsburgh, announces that Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals has secured its first major third-party contract to supply approximately 400,000 bone dry metric tons (bdmt) of bauxite from its Huntly mine in Western Australia, furthering Alcoa's strategy to grow its third-party bauxite business.
The Western Australia state government has also granted approval for Alcoa to export up to 2.5 million metric tons per annum of bauxite for five years to third-party customers.
"Bauxite exports have the potential to generate greater value from our mineral lease, creating additional revenue streams for Alcoa and the state of Western Australia (WA), while maintaining supply to our three refineries," Mr. Dixon said.
The WA contract is one of three bauxite agreements recently signed worth a total of $126 million to deliver approximately 2.2 million bdmt of bauxite to customers in China in 2017. In addition to the WA contract, Alcoa will supply bauxite from its two mines in Brazil—Juruti and Mineração Rio do Norte — where Alcoa and AWAC hold an 18.2% equity investment. The two supply agreements for Brazil bauxite replace 2016 contract volume.
The contracts increase the total value of Alcoa's 2016 and 2017 third-party bauxite supply agreements to nearly $600 million.
Alcoa, the world's largest bauxite miner with 45.3 million bdmt of production in 2015, has mines in proximity to major markets and holds a first quartile cost curve position. Alcoa projects that the market for third-party bauxite demand will double between 2015 and 2024, with China as the biggest importer of bauxite.
www.alcoa.com
Alcoa Corp., Pittsburgh, announces that Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals has secured its first major third-party contract to supply approximately 400,000 bone dry metric tons (bdmt) of bauxite from its Huntly mine in Western Australia, furthering Alcoa’s strategy to grow its third-party bauxite business.
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CarTech PremoMax alloy steel designed for downhole oil/gas drilling
May 16, 2016
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Carpenter Technology Corp., Wyomissing, Pa., introduces PremoMax, a premium melted, quenched and tempered, cost-effective alloy steel that provides high strength, excellent impact toughness, and good hardenability in large section sizes. Developed for use in multiple downhole drilling applications such as mud motor shafts and related components, it demonstrates superior performance in challenging environments.
PremoMax composition is C 0.22, Mn 2.0, Si 1.0, Cr 2.0, Ni 0.70, Mo 0.20, V 0.35, Cu 0.50. Its moderate carbon content facilitates weldability, while vacuum arc remelting ensures superior cleanliness, excellent high-cycle fatigue strength, and outstanding fracture toughness. Machinability and weldability, coupled with strength, hardness, and fatigue resistance, make PremoMax alloy a cost-effective and durable drilling solution for rigid formation and high-rotation penetration demands. PremoMax is considered to be a superior alternative to 4330 V.
http://www.cartech.com
Carpenter Technology Corp., Wyomissing, Pa., introduces PremoMax, a premium melted, quenched and tempered, cost-effective alloy steel that provides high strength, excellent impact toughness, and good hardenability in large section sizes.
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FTC approves Air Liquide acquisition of Airgas
May 15, 2016
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Air Liquide, Paris, announces that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has granted clearance for it to acquire Airgas, Radnor, Pa., satisfying the final regulatory condition to the closing of the pending acquisition. The companies anticipate closing the acquisition on May 23, subject to the satisfaction of the remaining customary closing conditions.
The FTC's clearance is subject to certain conditions, to be satisfied following the closing of Air Liquide's acquisition of Airgas, which Air Liquide has agreed to undertake, including the sale of certain assets. A divestiture package has been prepared and the divestiture process is well underway.
FTC clearance is the last major step towards acquisition closing, and follows Airgas shareholder approval on February 23, and the decision by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on March 10 that the proposed acquisition poses no national security concerns.
As announced on November 17, 2015, combining Air Liquide and Airgas will bring together two highly complementary businesses to deliver greater value, service, and innovation to customers in North America and around the world.
This acquisition will give Air Liquide a greater presence in the U.S. market, the largest for industrial gases worldwide, and will ideally position the company for future growth, using the Airgas footprint to accelerate the deployment of Air Liquide's new offerings, technologies, and innovations. It will also extend Air Liquide's customer base by more than one million customers through a unique multi-channel distribution network in the United States, and a nationwide presence of more than 1100 locations across the country, including approximately 900 branches and retail stores.
The FTC decision is accessible via the following link: https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/161-0045/american-air-liquide-holdings-inc-matter
www.airliquide.com.
www.airgas.com
Air Liquide, Paris, announces that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has cleared the acquisition of Airgas, Radnor, Pa., by Air Liquide, satisfying the final regulatory condition to the closing of the pending acquisition.
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Alcoa chooses the name Arconic for its future value-add company
March 16, 2016
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that the name for its future company dedicated to value-added products will be Arconic, in which "A" represents Alcoa, "arc" represents the arc of progress, and "-conic" speaks to the company's history of creating iconic products. The logo also includes a tagline, "Innovation, Engineered" to communicate the company's goal to invent, develop, and deliver products and solutions through precision engineering and advanced manufacturing.
The future upstream company will operate under the Alcoa name. The company's separation into two independent publicly-traded companies in the second half of 2016 remains on track.
"The ‘Arconic' brand fuses our extraordinary heritage with our highly promising future," said Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld. "It echoes our 127-year history of invention – and reinvention. Our logo depicts the realm of possibility brought to life. It reflects our vision of limitless innovation solving complex engineering challenges, to transform the way we fly, drive, build, package and power. And it represents the ingenuity of our people, who are dedicated to inventing, developing, and delivering high-quality, innovative products and solutions that contribute to our customers' success and create shareholder value."
Both Arconic and Alcoa will be based in the United States and listed on the New York Stock Exchange: Arconic as ARNC, and Alcoa as AA. The upstream company (Alcoa) will comprise the five business units that today make up Global Primary Products: Bauxite, Alumina, Aluminum, Cast Products, and Energy.
Arconic will include the three business segments that today comprise Alcoa's Value Add portfolio: Global Rolled Products, Engineered Products and Solutions, and Transportation and Construction Solutions.
www.alcoa.com/arconic
www.alcoa.com/alcoabrand
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that the name for its future company dedicated to value-added products will be Arconic, in which “A” represents Alcoa, “arc” represents the arc of progress, and “-conic” speaks to the company’s history of creating iconic products.
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Alcoa to separate into Upstream Company and Value-Add Company
September 29, 2015
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Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that it will separate into two companies: the Upstream Company, which will consist of the Bauxite, Alumina, Aluminum, Casting, and Energy businesses; and the Value-Add Company, which will include the current Global Rolled Products, Engineered Products and Solutions, and Transportation and Construction Solutions.
The Upstream Company's asset base will include the world's largest bauxite mining portfolio, with 46 million bone-dry metric tons of production in 2014. It has a low 19th percentile position on the global bauxite cost curve. The company will be the world's fourth largest aluminum producer with a highly competitive second quartile cost curve portfolio. It will have an unrivalled casthouse network in close proximity to customers, and a substantial portfolio of energy assets with power production capacity of approximately 1550 megawatts and operational flexibility to profit from market cycles.
The Value-Add Company will be a premier provider of high-performance multi-material products and solutions with 157 globally diverse operating locations and approximately 43,000 employees. The company will be a differentiated supplier to the high-growth aerospace industry with leading positions on every major aircraft and jet engine platform, underpinned by market leadership in jet engine and industrial gas turbine airfoils and aerospace fasteners. Additionally, the Value-Add Company will be a leader in aluminum commercial truck wheels and will hold the number one market position in North American architectural systems.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016. At that point Alcoa shareholders will own all of the outstanding shares of both the Upstream and Value-Add Companies.
http://www.alcoa.com/two-strong-companies/default.asp
Alcoa, Pittsburgh, announces that it will separate into two companies: the Upstream Company, which will consist of the Bauxite, Alumina, Aluminum, Casting, and Energy businesses; and the Value-Add Company, which will include the current Global Rolled Products, Engineered Products and Solutions, and Transportation and Construction Solutions.
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SSAB launches Strenx brand for high-strength steels
April 22, 2015
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SSAB, Stockholm, has launched Strenx, a new high-strength structural steel product brand that includes Optim, Weldox, and Domex steels that are well-known trademarks of SSAB and the former Ruukki. Strenx is well-suited for agriculture, the frames of heavy mobile machines, rolling stock, offshore, and construction sectors.
Strenx features the world's widest choice of high-strength structural steels, in terms of both strength and dimensional range. Yield strengths range from 600 MPa to 1300 MPa, which is the strongest steel available on the market. Strenx is available in plate, strip and tubular products in thicknesses ranging from 0.7 mm to 160 mm.
Strenx is designed for sectors where structural strength and weight savings are key competitive factors, especially in the lifting, handling, and transportation industry. Now customers will be able to design more competitive and sustainable products – cranes that reach farther, trailers that carry more payload, trucks that use less fuel.
"Strenx embodies over 50 years of experience in high-strength steels," says Gregoire Parenty, Head of Market Development at SSAB. "We give full support to designers and customers to help them upgrade to Strenx. By sharing our in-depth experience and wide knowledge of steel we can guarantee the best results for end-product performance."
Strenx comes with guaranteed product consistency, services to help customers, and permanent assistance to enhance end-product performance.
www.strenx.com
SSAB, Stockholm, has launched Strenx, a new high-strength structural steel product brand that includes Optim, Weldox, and Domex steels that are well-known trademarks of SSAB and the former Ruukki.
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SSAB launches steel tube family with extreme wear resistance
March 11, 2015
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SSAB Steel, Sweden, has launched the new Hardox Tube 500 family, which provides the same hardness and toughness as Hardox wear plate, but in tubular form. It was developed for applications that require high wear resistance in combination with lower density. It is suitable for transporting all types of abrasive materials, such as wet concrete, soil, gravel, and ore slurry.
"The new Hardox Tube 500 range completes the existing Hardox family product range. We have long experience in developing wear-resistant steel tubes. The final properties are set after tube rolling and welding, which guarantees consistency as well as high hardness and toughness qualities," says Fredrik Mikaelsson, Manager for Tubes & Sections at SSAB.
Its extreme wear resistance allows for a lighter product with a long service life. It can increase the competitiveness of certain products by extending their service life by two, five, ten times, or more.
Hardox Tube 500 is available from stock in 88.9-133 mm diameters and different material thicknesses. Custom tubes in thinner materials and other diameters are also available.
www.ssab.com
SSAB Steel, Sweden, has launched the new Hardox Tube 500 family, which provides the same hardness and toughness as Hardox wear plate, but in circular form.
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Can-Eng Furnaces to build four furnace systems for mining supplier
November 19, 2014
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Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ontario, has received an order from a large international mining and materials supplier with locations spread throughout North America, South America, and East Asia. The order consists of four turn-key high-temperature rotary hearth and chain conveyor tempering furnace systems, with capacities ranging between 10 and 30 tons/hour, and staggered deliveries.
The equipment includes the latest in energy-efficient/low-emissions combustion, and state-of-the-art drive systems, refractories, and automation. This includes atmosphere monitoring, pressure and temperature control, high-temperature cameras, safety systems, and level II automation.
Can-Eng's rotary hearth furnace systems have been utilized in a wide variety of applications for both reheating and heat treating operations. System capacity ranges up to 60 tons per hour, and consists of both rotary table and rotary ring designs. Start-up for each project is planned to begin the first quarter of 2015.
www.can-eng.com
Can-Eng Furnaces International Limited, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has received an order from a large international mining and materials supplier with locations spread throughout North America, South America, and East Asia.
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