OREANDA-NEWS. April 21, 2008. The Chairman of the Board of Zaporizhstal JSC, Vitaliy Satskiy, and the Financial Director and Member of the Board of the Austrian Firm “Siemens-VAI”, Werner Auer, signed a contract on delivery of equipment for the construction of the converter shop.

This moment has been waited for at the Works for many years. It has been prepared with particular thoroughness and responsibility. Approximately 20 years ago, when Vitaliy Antonovich Satskiy came to the Works, his main goal was to transfer from the open-hearth furnace shop to converter production of steel.
Proceeding according to the retooling and modernization programme, which includes power saving and environmental protection measures, the specialists of the Works studied the world experience in detail and considered various variants. As a result of thorough study the supplier of equipment for the converter shop on a tender basis was chosen firm “Siemens-VAI” (Austria), which has a rich experience of cooperation with the leading world steel companies.

The project of the new converter shop comprises the most modern developments of steel production. The new shop will be located close to the rolling shops. The shop will comprise 2 iron desulphurization units, 2 converters 250 tons each with combined blowing, 2 2-position ladle-furnace units, a vacuum vessel of a ladle type and two thick slab 2-strand continuous casting machines.

Commissioning of the new shop will allow Zaporizhstal JSC to considerably widen the range of products, increase the quality and competitiveness. The converter production will also allow to reduce the consumption of natural gas, other power sources and raw materials, considerably reduce (by 6636.7 tons per year) emissions of harmful substances into atmosphere. This reduction is more essential than that foreseen for the Works by the regional and city programmes on overcoming the ecological crisis. At the contract signing ceremony Vitaliy Antonovich Satskiy stated with satisfaction, that such an event occurs very seldom in a life time. This is a result of the work of the Works’ specialists in cooperation with co-workers from firm “Siemens-VAI”. They have demonstrated understanding and creative strategy.

- For us signing of the contract is an event of great importance, which will change the history of the Works, underlined Vitaliy Antonovich. — Firm “Siemens-VAI” has developed a second wind for the Works helping it to move forward. In his return speech the Financial Director of “Siemens-VAI”, Werner Auer, assured that the event is also an important one for his firm too because the equipment for the new shop of Zaporizhstal JSC is the latest word in engineering, which provides effective production and environmental protection in the city.

During the ceremony the General Director of “Siemens-Ukraine” Max Egger, the mayor of Zaporozhye, Yevgeniy Kartashov, the first deputy chairman of the regional administration Alexander Berezhnoy, exchanged greetings, wishes and toasts.