Michel Wurth, board member of Luxembourg-based steel giant ArcelorMittal, has revealed the company is discussing cooperation for the production of steel sheet piles with Chinese investor Oriental Group. Accordingly, ArcelorMittal would provide the technology to produce this product in China.
Steel sheet piles are widely used in infrastructure construction. Before 2008, China's imports of these products were lower than 50,000 mt, but last year the amount increased to 200,000 mt, indicating the potential market for these products.
In China, no domestic steelmaker can produce large volumes of this product. Steel sheet piles are imported mainly from Japanese mills and from ArcelorMittal. Large Chinese large steelmakers such as Baosteel and Masteel are planning to produce HR steel piles, but have so far encountered technological difficulties.
ArcelorMittal's production line for steel sheet piles would be expected to be established in Hebei Province. ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company, holds a 29.63 percent stake in Oriental Group at present.