Leading West Coast steel manufacturer California Steel Industries Inc. (CSI) has announced that it will increase its annual production capacity by one million net tons through the addition of an environmentally friendly reheat furnace.
In addition to the clean-burning furnace, the company will also invest in additional improvements in cooling water treatment and slab handling facilities, for a total capital investment of $60 million.
The natural gas-fired walking beam reheat furnace will use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emission control technology along with highly efficient burners, and is rated among the nation's cleanest-operating reheat furnaces per ton of steel produced.
Technical specifications are being finalized in discussions with equipment suppliers, and production from the new facility could come on line in approximately 24 months.
CSI currently ships an average of 2 million net tons per year of flat rolled sheet and pipe, and with the new capacity, it will be able to produce up to 3 million tons per year.