OREANDA-NEWS  On 23 October was announced, that United Metallurgical Company (OMK) put into operation its Casting and Rolling Complex (CRC), built in the Vyksa District , Nizhniy Novgorod Region. The opening ceremony of CRC was attended by Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Khristenko, Governor of the Nizhni Novgorod Region Valery Shantsev, other officials, business people, steelmakers, and builders.

The builders and steelmakers received a complimentary telegram from Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, reading as follows: “I extend my congratulations on the commissioning of the first phase of the Casting and Rolling Complex in the town of Vyksa. The implementation of this large-scale project is of great importance not only to the Nizhni Novgorod Region, but also to Russia in general. The launch of new production will make it possible to expand the range of competitive products and will create new jobs. I would like to emphasize that the technologies applied to constructing the Casting and Rolling Complex satisfy the latest environmental standards. I wish the plant builders, all those who will work in its shops every success, new achievements, and all the best.”

“Our company has long cherished a dream of having its own production of hot-rolled coils. Today is a great day for us, our dream came true,” Chairman of the Board of Directors OMK Anatoly Sedykh said, addressing the meeting. “The plant is build on a greenfield site in an extremely short period of time, three years and three months. Its manufacturing characteristics make the plant the most advanced metallurgical production not only in Russia but also, probably, worldwide. For the first time in the world, we will use thin slabs (it means the most efficient method) to make the most complicated types of mass-produced rolled steel for the pipe, automotive, engineering, and other industries. Today, Russia doesn’t make a considerable part of these product types.” 

It took a very short period of time (three years and three months) to construct CRC, employing unique technologies. The commissioning of CRC’s first phase will enable OMK to supply high-quality hot-rolled coils to the pipe making shops of Vyksa Steel Works and Almetyevsk Pipe Plant producing small- and medium-diameter pipes in compliance with international standards. CRC will master the manufacture of high-grade rolled steel for the automotive and shipbuilding industries, and for the production of railroad cars, tank cars, and other rolling stock used by Russian Railways.

“For the first time in global practices, rolled strips, including those designed for ultra-strength corrosion-resistant pipes used in severe climatic conditions at temperatures of up to 60 degrees Centigrade below zero and for aggressive applications, will be made out of thin slabs,” OMK President Vladimir Markin commented on the special features of CRC’s products. “CRC will be the metallurgical industry’s most advanced plant with four levels of automation and a production cycle of only 2.5 hours. For the first time in the world, a compact technology will be used to make products having these specifications, which could formerly be achieved by integrated companies only.”

The initial capacity of CRC will be 1.5 million tonnes of coils per year. When put into operation, the second phase will raise the capacity to 3 million tonnes. The amount of investment in the first phase of CRC was USD 1.4 billion, and it is planned to invest additional USD 600 million in the second phase.

The general contractor was the Turkey-based construction company GAMA Endustri. The principal supplier of process equipment was Danieli & C, Italy. The project participants include dozens of Russian and foreign companies.