UK-based plantmaker Primetals Technologies has announced that it has successfully started up a new comprehensive production line at Vietnamese steel producer Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel JSC’s (Hoa Phat) steel plant in Dung Quat.
The project, which includes two slab casters, a hot strip mill, advanced automation systems and digitalization solutions, will enable Hoa Phat to expand into higher-quality steel product segments and meet Vietnam’s rapidly growing demand for steel. The new line will raise the company’s annual production capacity by 5.5 million mt.
The two-strand casters supplied by Primetals have a rated capacity of six million mt per year and can produce 230 mm-thick slabs in widths ranging between 900 mm and 1,650 mm. On the other hand, the hot strip mill, with an annual capacity of 5.5 million mt, is designed to produce coils weighing up to 36 mt, with thicknesses between 1.2 mm and 25.4 mm and widths of 900-1,650 mm.
Hoa Phat stated that it selected Primetals’ continuous casting and hot strip mill solutions as part of its strategy to enter higher-quality steel market segments and supply a wider range of products. According to Hoa Phat, even before the commissioning of the Dung Quat 2 project was completed, the company’s slab and hot rolled coil products had already received positive feedback from customers, underlining the quality performance of the new facilities.