OREANDA-NEWS. Cherepovets Steel Mill, part of the Russian Steel Division of OAO Severstal, one of the world’s leading steel and steel-related mining companies, is launching a project to upgrade its Hot Rolling Mill 2000. The upgrade will increase the mill’s annual production volume of hot rolled products by 270 thousand tones as well as improving product quality and enhancing operational efficiency and reliability.

The Mill 2000’s roughing stand drive will be refurbished and most drives replaced.

In addition, Severstal plans to upgrade the mill’s roughing stand’s automation system. A leading-edge automated system will be installed to replace the current control system, which has been in service since 1975. The new automation system will operate cutting-edge rolling techniques and will connect the roughing stand to the modern control systems for the adjoining furnace, finishing train, and disposal sections.

The Mill 2000 will be transformed into a single integrated facility better able to meet the challenges of modern manufacturing.

Andrei Lutsenko, Operations Officer and Chief engineer of Severstal’s Russian Steel division commented: “Approximately 810 mln Rubles will be invested in this project. 80% of the roughing stand’s electronic equipment at the Mill 2000 will be upgraded. This will increase the mill's production output by 270 thousand tonnes, as well as reducing equipment downtime and cutting down on equipment maintenance and repair costs.”

According to Mr. Lutsenko, in 2013 the Company is planning construction and assembly work to replace converters in the stands’ main and auxiliary drives. This work will not impact ongoing production and will continue into 2014. The switch-over to the new control system is expected to take place during the Mill 2000’s overhaul in 2014.

The project commenced in Quarter 1, 2013. Siemens is supplying the core equipment while the main contractor is OAO Domnaremont and the designer is OOO Severstal-Project (both subsidiaries within Severstal’s Russian Steel division).