Russian steelmaker NLMK has announced that its flagship production site NLMK Lipetsk has begun construction and installation works on the complete overhaul of its continuous casting machine (CCM) No. 9, which is a milestone project in NLMK Group’s Strategy 2022.
The company said that the launch of the new CCM No. 9 will conclude the blast furnace and steelmaking operations development program, aimed at boosting the output of NLMK Lipetsk by 1 million mt of steel. CCM No. 9 will also enable NLMK Lipetsk to begin production of unique 'heavy' slabs of up to 400 mm in thickness and 2,800 mm in width, which will be used in in the production of large-diameter pipes, wind power facilities, oil-drilling platforms, and in the shipbuilding sector.
Investment in the project will total RUB 12 billion ($191 million), while the completion of construction and the operational launch of the CCM is planned for December this year.