On February 25, Italy-based Feralpi Group, owner of steel and rolling mills in Italy, Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic, commissioned a new electric arc furnace (EAF) and a photovoltaic system at its historical facility located in Lonato del Garda, Brescia.
The new furnace has been built with the cooperation of Tenova (Techint Group) and Feralpi's subsidiary Comeca, in order to meet the company's needs, targeting mainly improvements in safety standards and in control of the steelmaking process. The new plant, which has been built with an investment of about €10 million, replaces the previous one built in 1997. It includes a control room located at a height of eight meters, allowing a broader view of the steelmaking process. The molten steel is conveyed into a ladle and cast continuously in 140 mm x 140 mm x 12 m billets, to be sold or rolled into rebar and wire rod.
The investment in the new photovoltaic system amounts to €2 million. It consists of 2,718 modules, covering an area of 158 acres and will reduce Feralpi's yearly CO2 output by 640 mt.
On the same day, the company held an event titled "Sustainibility and innovation as competitive advantages", during which Giuseppe Pasini, chairman of Feralpi Group and president of the Italian steelmakers' association Federacciai, underlined the commitment of the company to invest in enhancing the technological level and sustainibility of its steelmaking process.