Salzgitter Group now investing in new walking beam furnace

• Significant reduction in the CO₂ emissions to date
• Energy efficiency boosted

Together with its Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH subsidiary, the Salzgitter Group is investing a triple-digit million euro sum in a new walking beam furnace and waste gas heat utilization system at the hot strip mill. This will reduce energy consumption and enable the use of hydrogen.

In these special ovens in the hot strip mill, so-called slabs are heated to up to 1,300 degrees Celsius. These blocks of cast steel are the primary material that is then rolled out into steel strips (coils). Tenova Italimpianti was assigned with the realization of the walking beam furnace.

As Thomas Routschek, Operations Director, Hot Flat Products Division, Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH stated: "With the new furnace, we will be reducing our energy requirements for slab heating in the hot flat steel area by up to 30 %. This is another significant step towards reducing the CO₂ footprint of flat steel products. Subsequent to successful commissioning, all the slabs produced at the Salzgitter site will be processed in the walking beam furnaces in future.”