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Siemens to Supply Rourkela with RH Vacuum Degassing Plant

08/17/2010 - Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has received an order from SAIL to supply an RH vacuum degassing plant to the Rourkela Steel Works in the state of Orissa. The new plant, which will enable production of high-quality steel grades up to cold-rolled non-oriented types, is scheduled to come into operation by mid-2012.

Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has received an order from the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to supply an RH vacuum degassing plant to the Rourkela Steel Works in the state of Orissa. The new plant will enable production of high-quality steel grades up to cold-rolled non-oriented types.
 
The order is worth a total of about €10 million. The RH plant is scheduled to come into operation by mid-2012.
 
The main functions of the RH degassing plant in the Rourkela Steel Works are the removal of hydrogen, forced decarburization, and the chemical heating of the liquid steel. The liquid steel is treated under vacuum conditions with argon as lift gas for circulation of steel. Twenty-four heats can be treated per day—a production capacity of about 1 million tonnes of liquid steel per annum.
 
The Siemens RH plant has a capacity of 150 tonnes and is designed as a Mono-block design vessel with welded snorkel tubes. The RH-vessel is raised and lowered by a winch system. The scope of supply includes a five-stage vacuum pump, an alloying system, a T-COB (Combined Oxygen Blowing) lance for producing low-carbon types of steel grades, and complete level II process automation.
 
Pressure conditions in the RH vessel are continuously adjustable. Pre-evacuation shortly before the vacuum treatment accelerates the evacuation of the vessel so the actual metallurgical process can start more quickly.
 
Siemens is also responsible for the design, configuration, and construction, as well as for supervising the installation of the RH plant and the associated auxiliary installations.
 
Rourkela Steel Plant was the first integrated steel plant in the public sector in India and said to be the first in Asia to adopt the LD technology. The new RH plant is part of SAIL's modernization and expansion program for its Rourkela location, which is intended to increase raw steel production to around 4.2 million tonnes per year.
 
A third BOF converter will be constructed in steel works II with secondary steelmaking facilities, including the Siemens RH plant, and a continuous slab caster.
 
The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is a leading international supplier of environmentally friendly production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. The Sector comprises six divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility und Osram. With around 207,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry achieved in fiscal year 2009 total sales of approximately €35 billion.
 
The Siemens Industry Solutions Division (Erlangen, Germany) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities comprising the business activities of Siemens VAI Metals Technologies, Water Technologies and Industrial Technologies. With around 31,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry Solutions posted sales of €6.8 billion in fiscal year 2009.