Press Releases

Premier J�rgen R�ttgers visits new steel mill being built by ThyssenKrupp Steel in Brazil: �Important investment will also strengthen North Rhine-Westphalia as an industrial center� [Daily press, 30.10.2008]

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:00:00 GMT

In the bay of Sepetiba, ThyssenKrupp Steel is building an integrated steel mill with an annual capacity of 5 million metric tons of slabs. During his visit, the Premier was also updated on the company’s strategy. With its business model focused on premium flat-rolled carbon steel ThyssenKrupp Steel is well positioned in its core European market. In recent years the portfolio has been systematically concentrated on high value-added products.

Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler, member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp AG and CEO of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, explained that in the medium term ThyssenKrupp Steel aims to increase its deliveries from currently 14 million tons to 20 million tons with a global growth strategy. This strategy is based on long-term forecasts for the premium flat-rolled carbon steel market, which is growing at an above-average rate of 6% per year. Almost half of consumption is focused in the volume markets of Europe and North America. “To strengthen our market position in these regions, we will be investing over €7 billion in the coming years,” said Dr. Köhler.

Of central importance to the implementation of the growth plans is the steel mill now being built in Brazil at a capital cost of around €4.5 billion. Following the ramp-up of the facilities from the end of 2009 the new mill will produce around 5 million tons of slabs to high quality standards and with an optimal cost position. 3 million tons of the slabs will be supplied to the new processing plant near Mobile in Alabama, which is likewise under construction and is due to start operation in 2010. It is being built in conjunction with sister segment Stainless. The total investment is €3.1 billion, of which ThyssenKrupp Steel’s share is €2.3 billion.

The additional crude steel capacity in Brazil will also benefit the company’s highly efficient plants in Germany – mainly in North Rhine-Westphalia. To allow processing of 2 million tons of slabs from Brazil we are investing €400 million in the expansion of our processing and coating capacities. A large part of the investment is focused on our hot strip mills in Duisburg and Bochum. Individual sub-projects to increase the capacity of existing hot-dip coating lines have already been completed. At the same time we are expanding our infrastructure and slab logistics facilities at the Duisburg-Walsum terminal. The ramp-up of the facilities will remove bottlenecks and allow us to serve key customers in Europe better than before. The extra volumes are covered in full by notified demand from regular customers.

Another milestone in our plans for the future is the start-up of the new blast furnace 8 in Duisburg, which was blown-in on December 8, 2007. The new furnace is part of a larger modernization program which also includes the relining of neighboring blast furnace 9. In total, €340 million is being invested in the blast furnace program, which will ensure that Duisburg remains one of the most efficient steelmaking locations in the world. It will also secure 1,200 jobs directly and another 3,600 indirectly.

ThyssenKrupp performed very successfully in 2007/2008 [Daily press, 04.10.2008]

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler, Executive Board Member of ThyssenKrupp AG and Executive Board Chairman of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, confirmed the earnings forecast for ThyssenKrupp AG, which had been raised in August. At the annual conference of the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) in Washington he said: “We are expecting sales in the region of €53 billion and earnings before taxes and nonrecurring items of more than €3.2 billion in fiscal year 2007/2008.”

The Steel segment, which is focused on premium carbon steel flat products, performed very successfully in a robust market environment, but will not match the record earnings of 2006/2007. The reasons for this lie in pre-operating costs for the major projects in Brazil and the USA and restructuring expenses at the metal forming operations.

“Demand for our products was exceptionally high. Although our production units were fully utilized we were unable to meet customer requirements in full for capacity reasons,” said Dr. Köhler. At more than 14.2 million tons, crude steel production at ThyssenKrupp Steel was slightly lower than the year before due to the relining of Schwelgern 1 blast furnace in the first quarter of 2008. However, the output of the ThyssenKrupp Steel meltshops increased slightly thanks to a number of optimization measures, including more intensive scrap use. Slabs again had to be bought in to ensure maximum utilization of hot-rolled capacities.

Despite the weaker global economy, the situation on the international steel markets 2008 was marked by continuing growth and full capacity utilization. The first half of the calendar year in particular was characterized by brisk global demand which came up against supply shortages in some cases. This trend was accompanied by steel price increases, albeit with significant regional differences. The highest price rises were in Asia, the lowest in Europe.

The price corrections were necessary as a result of the drastic rise in raw material and energy costs, which reached a level never previously registered. “The significant price increases for raw materials, which pushed the share of raw material costs in production costs per ton of hot-rolled strip to over 70 percent, coupled with the energy price rises created unforeseeable costs for us of more than €1 billion,” said Dr. Köhler. The cost increases could partially offset by positive earnings effects from ongoing efficiency programs and additional cost-reduction programs.

ThyssenKrupp Steel is confident about its prospects in the current fiscal year 2008/2009. This optimism is based on the fact that the forecasts for the global steel market remain favorable. Demand in particular from Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the CIS will continue to grow at an above-average rate in the next few years and significantly impact the global market. In Europe, the NAFTA region and Japan, steel market growth will be more moderate given the deterioration in the general economic outlook. “Raw material prices have eased to a certain extent recently, but it remains to be seen how long this will last,” said Dr. Köhler.

ThyssenKrupp Steel: 30 million euros to reduce particulates [Daily press, 24.09.2008]

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:00:00 GMT

ThyssenKrupp Steel is investing an additional 30 million euros to reduce particulate pollution in the north of Duisburg. By mid-2011 Germany's biggest steelmaker is to equip its sinter plant in Duisburg-Schwelgern with additional filters to capture particulates and dust-containing off-gases. The company is thus doing its bit to ensure that European Union emissions standards are met in the north of Duisburg.

In the past ThyssenKrupp has made its contribution to improving air quality with a total of 41 measures. Their success is confirmed by measurements by the state environmental authority: Particulate pollution in the north of Duisburg has decreased by more than 20 percent since 2002, whereas in heavy traffic areas for example it has remained virtually constant.

ThyssenKrupp Steel accounts for around 20 percent of the particulate pollution in the north of Duisburg. This was shown by an investigation program carried out jointly with the Ministry for Environment and Nature Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Other results of the two-year investigation: 60 percent of the particulate matter recorded at the measuring points in Duisburg-Marxloh and Duisburg-Bruckhausen is carried in by the wind from surrounding and more distant areas, while another 20 percent comes from traffic and domestic fuel combustion. Domestic fuel burning includes the coal stoves still used to heat an above-average number of homes in the north of Duisburg.

The 30 million euro investment in the sinter plant will further reduce the company's share of the particulate emissions. Sinter plants convert fine ore into a coarse-grained material suitable for charging in the blast furnace. The plant at ThyssenKrupp Steel produces around twelve million tons of sinter per year. It already has filters with a total surface area of 150,000 square meters which clean approximately a hundred billion cubic meters of gas per year, with the captured iron-bearing dusts being cycled back to the sinter plant.

To improve control of particulate emissions still further, among other things ThyssenKrupp Steel will be installing an additional fabric filter downstream of the existing electrostatic gas cleaners. In addition, new high-voltage electrostatic precipitators are to be used to separate pa

rticulates inside the sinter belt areas. At the same time, further particulate sources will be connected to the improved dust collection systems. This action by ThyssenKrupp Steel goes beyond the measures recommended by the recently published Clean Air Plan for the western Ruhr. The filter concept for the sinter plant will reduce particulate pollution in the north of Duisburg by up to 3 micrograms per cubic meter.

"The aim behind this voluntary measure is to help achieve a sustainable improvement in the particulate situation in the north of Duisburg," says Dr. Gunnar Still, head of Environmental Affairs at ThyssenKrupp Steel. "However our company cannot bring about lasting compliance with the standards on its own. The background pollution from other sources is too great. Further efforts at federal and state level and an intensive dialogue among all parties are needed."

Reducing dust emissions has always been an important issue for ThyssenKrupp Steel, not just since the decision to invest in the new filters. In recent years the company has launched wide-ranging programs which have led to a significant reduction in dust pollution. The most recent example is blast furnace 8, commissioned in December 2007, with its unique dust collection system for capturing emissions during rail car unloading. This system alone cost the company 20 million euros. Altogether, a quarter of the 250 million euro investment in the new blast furnace was spent on pollution control. Together with the North Rhine-Westphalia environmental agency it has been proven that the new blast furnace produces virtually no uncontrolled diffuse dust emissions.

Back in October 2004 ThyssenKrupp Steel began operation of a system to collect dust emissions from the casthouse and stockhouse of blast furnace 1. The 16.5 million euro unit cleans 1.8 million cubic meters of air per hour via 18 different extraction points. The investment was part of a 62 million euro program to reduce dust emissions from the Schwelgern plant unit, in the course of which the rotary coolers in the sinter plant were also enclosed at a cost of 33 million euros.

10,500 euros for renovations and equipment [Daily press, 17.09.2008]

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:00:00 GMT

In his capacity as chairman of the ThyssenKrupp Steel Sponsoring Society, Dieter Kroll, Executive Board Member of ThyssenKrupp Steel, today presented a check for 10,500 euros to the child daycare center "Im Nimmerland e.V." in Duisburg-Marxloh.

Center to expand number of care places

The daycare center will use the donation to expand its care facilities. Its premises at Schwartzkopfstrasse 13-15 are full to capacity with 25 children, so with demand for care facilities for babies and infants continuing to rise, further premises have been rented at Karl-Marx-Strasse 22, where the "Im Nimmerland e.V." association has created 25 additional care places. However the premises, let by the evangelical church, require renovation and the rooms will need play material, equipment and furnishings. The center did not have the funds to cover these expenses.

Combining work and family

"We are supporting the "Im Nimmerland e.V." daycare center - as well as other centers close to our sites in North Rhine-Westphalia - in this way because over a third of the existing places are used by children of employees of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG in Duisburg," explains Dieter Kroll, Executive Board Member of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG. "We are providing these places to employees as a measure to better combine work and family life as part of our 'ProZukunft' program. Our employees can only reconcile the demands of work and family life if they know that their children are being well looked after. We believe that creating a family-appropriate working world is a task for society as a whole and of great importance for the future of our country."

Practical mathematics for senior school students - Day of the Mathematics Industry at ThyssenKrupp Steel [Daily press, 10.09.2008]

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:00:00 GMT

While the “Hands-on mathematics” exhibition from the Giessen mathematics museum is still going on at ThyssenKrupp Steel until September 27, the company is today staging its Day of the Mathematics Industry. Year 11 to 13 students from all Duisburg schools are invited to come along and see a vivid demonstration of the practical importance of mathematics in industry.

The day starts with an exciting guest talk. Professor Michael Schreckenberg from Duisburg-Essen University will introduce participants to the world of traffic jam research and transportation systems of the future from a mathematician’s point of view. This is followed by six workshops, in which students with an interest in mathematics will deal with various topics, including approximating stress-strain curves, thermal engineering, optimizing steel properties by evaluating process parameters, and computer-aided deciphering of coded texts. Some of the workshops will be led by mathematicians and engineers working for the company who will accompany the students on tours of the plant site and subsequently discuss topical mathematical issues in their work with the group. Finally the results will be presented before all the students and instructors.

“Here the students will learn that mathematics isn’t dry and pure theory but a living part of daily work in many areas of professional life,” explains Klaus Bailer, senior vice president personnel/social policy at ThyssenKrupp Steel.

More information on the Day of the Mathematics Industry can be found at www.thyssenkrupp-steel.de/mathematik

Mathematics museum pays a visit to Duisburg Fascinating mathematics exhibition at ThyssenKrupp Steel [Daily press, 03.09.2008]

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:00:00 GMT

The doors of the ThyssenKrupp Steel training center on Franz-Lenze-Strasse will be open to visitors from September 5 to 27, when 25 exhibits from the Mathematikum – the mathematics museum based in Giessen – will be on display in building 7. Children and young people in particular, but parents and grandparents, employees and guests as well, are invited to come along, marvel and experiment. The traveling exhibition includes a number of interactive activitie.

One of the exhibits for example is a giant soap bubble: pull on a rope and you are enclosed by a beautiful soap bubble. Initially shaped like a tube, it gradually tapers until it touches you and bursts. Another is a giant kaleidoscope: you stand in the middle of a mirror-lined box and see infinite images of yourself in whichever direction you look. Armed with a tape measure and a Golden Compass you can check whether your body proportions match the Golden Ratio. The Golden Ratio can also be discovered in paintings. There’s also lots of background information about the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Numbers. Visitors can let their imaginations run wild and build various geometric bodies from many smaller elements.

The interactive mathematics museum at ThyssenKrupp Steel is open to the public at weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. During the week the exhibition is reserved for registered school groups, and it’s almost fully booked. The aim of ThyssenKrupp Steel is to underline the importance of technology and the sciences, particularly mathematics, in the forward-looking education of young people. “Many young people find the subjects of technology, mathematics and science daunting. It all seems incredibly complicated and dry,” says Klaus Bailer, senior vice president personnel/social policy at ThyssenKrupp Steel. “We aim to change this. We want to interest students in these subjects by presenting them in an exciting and informative way."

More information on the interactive exhibition can be found at
www.thyssenkrupp-steel.de/mathematik.

ThyssenKrupp Steel celebrates apprenticeship graduation: 56 apprentices complete their training, 52 retained [Daily press, 25.06.2008]

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:00:00 GMT

56 apprentices of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG last week passed the 2008 summer examination at the Duisburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce and are now entering into working life. Following an interview process it is planned to retain 52 apprentices, 51 on time-limited contracts and one on a permanent contract. It is expected that the time-limited contracts will convert into permanent contracts in twelve months. ThyssenKrupp Steel HR director Kroll: "The fact that we are retaining so many is due to the Program Future agreed in summer 2006 which offers young people a greater chance of long-term employment at ThyssenKrupp Steel".

In addition to having an apprentice ratio in excess of its own needs, ThyssenKrupp Steel is continuing the "Chance" project launched in association with the Agentur für Arbeit (Employment Agency) which offers work prospects to applicants who do not satisfy the regular apprenticeship requirements. ThyssenKrupp Steel is continuing this successful project in fiscal 2007/2008 with an offer of 23 pre-qualification places. Since this initiative started, 67 out of 94 participants have earned an apprenticeship place - the vast majority with ThyssenKrupp Steel.

In the meantime the application process for new recruits is already in full swing. After it ends on September 1, 2008 it is expected that another 343 young people will begin their apprenticeship in the autumn at the sites of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, 228 in Duisburg alone. Information on the 16 apprenticeship occupations can be found in the "Career" section of our website: http://www.thyssenkrupp-steel.com/en/career/ausbildung/

ICAMS officially opened at Ruhr University [Daily press, 06.06.2008]

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Joint press release of Ruhr University Bochum,
the Ministry for Innovation of North Rhine-Westphalia and ThyssenKrupp Steel AG

ICAMS, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Advanced Materials Simulation, was officially opened today at the Ruhr University with an inauguration ceremony and podium discussion. “For us as a steel producer in North Rhine-Westphalia, the opening of this institute is a groundbreaking event,” said Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler, Executive Board Chairman of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG and member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp AG. ThyssenKrupp is the lead company in an industrial consortium (also including Bayer MaterialScience and Bayer Technology Services, Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung and Bosch) which is providing half of the 24 million euro start-up financing for ICAMS. The other half is being provided by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. ICAMS will use multi-scale computer simulation to develop new materials – an approach which combines the previously separate worlds of natural science and engineering science. “To become Germany’s number 1 state for innovation, we need outstanding research in forward-looking fields,” said North Rhine-Westphalia’s Innovation Minister Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart. “ICAMS is a prime example of this.” The Rector of Ruhr University Bochum Prof. Dr. Elmar Weiler underlined the central importance of ICAMS for the future concept of the university and thanked all its supporters: “We are extremely grateful to our partners for their vision and courage to break new ground.”

No innovation without innovative materials

Innovative products would be virtually inconceivable without new materials and materials with tailored properties. For example: to develop cars which are fuel-efficient and safe, the automotive industry needs high-strength steels for lighter designs. One problem with describing real materials is the high spatial and chemical complexity of these structures on widely varying length, time and energy scales. There is still a tendency to regard components mainly as homogeneous units. But to find out what happens inside the material under mechanical loads, the microstructure has to be taken into account, made up of individual atoms, crystallites and their interfaces and defects. Simulations make it possible to develop new materials and to realistically predict and better understand the properties of new metallic alloys, ceramics, glasses or plastics.

Uniting separate worlds

Whereas in the past work in the atomic range (typically 0.1 to 10 nanometers) tended to fall into the realm of the natural sciences, and engineering scientists were more interested in macroscopic properties (from 0.1 mm upwards), both groups will work together in ICAMS on a multi-scale basis. Key areas of work at ICAMS will focus on: 1. the properties of interfaces and layer adhesion, 2. processes taking place inside the material during heavy forming operations, such as during the stamping or rolling of metal, and 3. the influence of alloying elements on the properties of steel. The three endowed professors at ICAMS – Prof. Dr. Ralf Drautz, Prof. Dr. Alexander Hartmaier, Prof. Dr. Ingo Steinbach – and their teams will also collaborate with experimental facilities of other chairs at the Ruhr University Bochum and with researchers from the chemistry, mathematics, mechanical engineering and physics faculties. In addition to research, ICAMS will also enhance the teaching of material sciences. “The fact that today the multi-scale modeling of materials still means tearing down barriers between traditional disciplines also means that there are not yet any engineers who have been taught to derive and understand properties of materials from their atomic structures,” said ICAMS founding director. Dr. Ralf Drautz. “We’ll be creating a new masters degree course to educate a new generation of material engineers who will grow up in a multi-scale world rather than restricting their focus to just one discipline.”

Central element of RUB future concept

As part of one of two “research clusters”, the materials research center is a central element of the future concept of Ruhr University Bochum, which has already been praised by international experts in the university’s application for funding under the government’s “Initiative for Excellence” program and is now being implemented with funds from the Mercator Foundation and the state of NRW among others. “At RUB, ICAMS stands for the pursuit of two major strategic lines under our future concept: on the one hand the clear focus on key areas in research, and on the other cooperation with external partners,” said Rector Weiler. ICAMS works together with partners from the area of research (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, RWTH Aachen and Forschungszentrum Jülich) and is funded by an industrial consortium (ThyssenKrupp, Bayer MaterialScience, Bayer Technology Services, Salzgitter Mannesmann, Bosch).

Research center of international caliber in NRW

ICAMS has been designed as a competitive research center of international caliber for materials modeling. “At ThyssenKrupp Steel, we are firmly convinced that advanced materials simulation is a key technology for materials development,” said Dr. Köhler, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG. “ICAMS will strengthen the innovativeness of our companies and enhance the importance of North Rhine-Westphalia as a center for materials. The work performed at ICAMS will have an impact that goes well beyond pure materials development. New materials drive innovative developments in other key areas such as the automotive, environmental, energy and manufacturing sectors.” And Prof. Martin Stratmann, Managing Director of MPI-Eisenforschung, underlines this: “ICAMS will take us closer to designed materials – the dream of many materials engineers to create modern materials ‘on the drawing board’. ICAMS will allow us to overcome entrenched ways of thinking in university teaching and stands for cooperation between universities, research institutions and business in the pursuit of excellence.”

Ore for Duisburg blast furnaces [Daily press, 02.06.2008]

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Each day around 45,000 tons of iron ore from Brazil, Canada, Sweden and elsewhere are delivered to ThyssenKrupp Steel in Duisburg. Alongside coal, around 17,000 tons of which arrive in Duisburg daily, iron ore is the most important raw material for the production of pig iron.

Around two thirds of the iron ore used at ThyssenKrupp Steel comes from Brazil, and a significant proportion of it is shipped in the biggest bulk carrier in the world, the MS Berge Stahl, from the Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira terminal of mining company Vale in Brazil (formerly CVRD) to Europoort/Rotterdam in the Netherlands. From there the ore is transported by barge up the Rhine to Duisburg.

The roughly twenty-strong crew of the super-freighter have reason to celebrate today: Together with representatives of ThyssenKrupp Steel, the shipping company Bergesen Worldwide Gas ASA, Vale and the Dutch company ThyssenKrupp Veerhaven B.V. as agents, who organize the operations of the Berge Stahl, as well as employees of the ore terminal Ertsoverslagbedrijf Europoort C.V. (EECV), who unload the cargo, the team is celebrating a special anniversary: The Berge Stahl has completed its two hundredth journey from Brazil to the Netherlands. It makes at least ten such journeys each year. Since the ship entered service in 1986 it has carried around 71 million tons of ore for ThyssenKrupp Steel and Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann. The ship was built specially for the freight contract, which covers practically its whole lifetime.

A journey like this represents a huge logistical challenge: After around 36 hours of loading in the Brazilian port, the 342 meter long ship, which sails under Norwegian flag, sets sail. Even getting out of the port requires great seafaring skill: the Berge Stahl, with a width of 63.5 meters, can only reach the open sea through a narrow channel at high tide, otherwise with its draft of over 23 meters and a cargo capacity of around 360,000 tons - enough iron ore to make 400,000 car bodies - it would run aground. Fully laden, the Berge Stahl takes roughly fourteen days to reach Rotterdam. A 14.5 meter high MAN B&W L90MCE diesel engine producing 20,300 kilowatts drives the ship via a nine meter diameter five-blade propeller. Before reaching Cherbourg the ship reduces speed to approach Rotterdam and 60 kilometers before the port pilots take control as three tugs assist in the difficult entry into the port on the Maas estuary. The dedicated channel in Europoort is 24 meters deep and the time window to enter at high tide is only around 20 minutes. With the ship fully laden, the distance from keel to harbor bed is often only one meter.

As soon as the Berge Stahl is tied up on the 1,100 meter long quay of the Ertsoverslagbedrijf EECV terminal, unloading begins: The five separate holds are emptied via 10 hatches in a precisely defined sequence to maintain the stability of the freighter. At the same time ballast water is pumped in to compensate for removed weight. The precisely timed unloading operation lasts around 100 hours and is carried out by only a few, highly concentrated EECV employees. Up to three giant grab cranes, retrieving around 40 tons of ore from the hull in each grab, unload the ship in a round-the-clock operation: in view of the high charter rates and port charges, every minute is precious. The various ores - mainly fines and lump ores - are transferred on conveyors to stockyards. Before stackers set about stockpiling the ore according to grade, the weight of the cargo is measured on belt scales and representatives samples are taken in an automatic sampling system. Up to three millions tons of ore in more than 30 different grades can be stored in the EECV stockyards for the steel producers ThyssenKrupp Steel and Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann in Duisburg. From Europoort/Rotterdam the ore then embarks on the final stage of its long journey: ThyssenKrupp Veerhaven, using seven company-owned and three chartered pusher boats and a total of around 100 push barges, ensures that the valuable material is available on call and on time for the Duisburg blast furnaces.

As soon as it has been emptied, the Berge Stahl sets off on its next great journey: However, thanks to its slightly lower weight it completes the return trip from Rotterdam to Brazil in only twelve days.

Company profiles

ThyssenKrupp Veerhaven B.V.
A ThyssenKrupp Steel subsidiary based in Brielle/Netherlands, ThyssenKrupp Veerhaven B.V. is a modern push-tow shipping company with a leading market position in the dry bulk sector on the Rhine. The company has around 170 employees and is organized in three departments. The Agency department is responsible for handling sea ships - like the Berge Stahl - and clears around 22 million tons of dry bulk cargo through customs each year. In its capacity as a shipping agent it handles 600 sea ships and coastal motor vessels. The Rhine Shipping department is responsible for coordinating the fleet and ensuring the transportation of ore and coal to the blast furnaces in Duisburg. The fleet consists of seven push boats, one harbor push boat, 68 pushed barges and two inspection boats, which are in operation around the clock seven days a week. The Nautical Technical Service department is responsible for maintaining the fleet, working closely with shipyards, engine manufacturers and other suppliers.

Ertsoverslagbedrijf Europoort C.V.
Ertsoverslagbedrijf Europoort C.V. (EECV), based in Europoort/Rotterdam/Netherlands, is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Steel and Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann. In the Europoort area of Rotterdam port it operates one of Europe's biggest and most modern bulk transshipment terminals. The deep-sea terminal opened in 1970. It uses the latest, eco-friendly equipment operating around the clock to unload ships with capacities of up to 360,000 tons, each year handling around 24 million tons of iron ore and additives needed for steel production. The 82 hectare EECV terminal also handles around 5 million tons of coal each year. With decades of experience, EECV provides round-the-clock unloading of sea ships, intermediate stockpiling, and loading into pusher barges and inland ships for further transportation to the German steel mills. The company employs around 280 people.

EU plans jeopardizing competitiveness of German steel production [Daily press, 27.05.2008]

Mon, 26 May 2008 22:00:00 GMT

“For the third trading period under the CO2 emissions trading system, ThyssenKrupp Steel needs allowances to be allocated largely free of charge. This is the only way we can remain competitive in the international markets, even if it means that the model iron and steel mills in Europe will face disadvantages as a result. We have to ensure a level global playing field for all market players.” That was the opinion stated by Thomas Schlenz, Chairman of the Works Council of the ThyssenKrupp Group, and Dr. Gunnar Still, Group Environmental Protection Officer, during discussions with journalists in Düsseldorf. The European steel industry is jointly demanding full exemption from auctions on the basis of a benchmark, to be set in accordance with the lowest CO2 emissions to date on the respective production lines. In the allocation for the trading period from 2013 to 2020, producers must not fall short of this technically achieved benchmark.

Steel production outside Europe is not being impacted by costs for CO2 certificates. An international agreement, under which countries such as China and India are not obligated to reduce emissions, is also leading to a divergence in competitive conditions. Serious cost disadvantages are expected which ThyssenKrupp Steel cannot pass on to its customers or offset through rationalization measures. “As a consequence of a costly EU solution for emissions trading, we expect investments in steel production to be stopped, jeopardizing our integrated iron and steel making site in Duisburg with more than 10,000 jobs,” said Schlenz, who warned that the industry could slowly abandon Europe as a production location.

But moving out of Europe would do nothing to improve the global CO2 balance. On the contrary: in the majority of cases, standards at overseas production facilities are significantly lower than those applied by European producers. CO2 emissions would therefore increase. Moreover, with production of 1.3 billion metric tons per year, steel is the number 1 material in the 21st century. Consumption will continue to increase in the coming years, particularly as there is still high catch-up demand in the BRIC states (Brazil, Russia, India and China). To compare: per capita steel consumption in Germany is 436 kg per year; in China the figure is 251 kg and in India only 35 kg.

Emissions trading is hitting power-intensive steel production doubly hard, as electricity prices are rising all the time. For ThyssenKrupp, the EU’s plans will have a further substantial negative impact because they will also affect the energy network in Duisburg, Europe’s biggest steel production site. Process waste gases created during the production of coke, pig iron and crude steel are reused in a similar way to the use of waste heat in combined heat and power plants.

“Yet Brussels is demanding that we purchase certificates for this eco-friendly process, which in this case even enables electricity to be generated,” said Dr. Still. “Where is the justice in putting this exemplary use of residual energy to generate electricity – which we have been practicing for over 60 years – on a level with electricity production methods involving the combustion of coal, oil or gas?” Additional electricity also needs to be purchased from the grid for the production and processing of steel.

ThyssenKrupp is facing up to the challenges of climate change. “When it comes to climate protection, we are active on two fronts. On the one hand we undertake every possible effort to reduce the pollution associated with the production of our material. On the other hand we are developing steel further so that it can play an ever greater role in active climate protection,” said Dr. Still. By way of an example he referred to the subject of weight reduction in auto construction: lighter steel bodies save more CO2 over their useful lives than is created during the production of all the steel used in a car. And he also quoted an example of advances in technology: since 1990 ThyssenKrupp Steel has reduced its CO2 emissions by 15%, since 1960 by as much as 40%. The limits of what is technically achievable in the blast furnace process have been reached. Together with the EU, the European steel industry is now concentrating on the ULCOS research project, which aims to develop completely new processes for the production of pig iron. Initial trials have been encouraging, but it will take decades until industrial-scale use is feasible.

ThyssenKrupp Steel Recognized by General Motors as a 2007 Supplier of the Year [Trade press, 28.04.2008]

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:00:00 GMT

ThyssenKrupp Steel AG received the General Motors 2007 Supplier of the Year award for its significant contributions to GM’s global product and performance achievements. The 16th annual award - themed the “Best of the Best” - was given during ceremonies Saturday, April 26 in Jacksonville, Florida.

“GM is proud to honor ThyssenKrupp as a GM Supplier of the Year winne2“, said Bo Andersson, GM group vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “This award is our way of telling the winners that we appreciate all of their efforts in working together with GM to manufacture world-class vehicles. ThyssenKrupp is among the best of the best,” he continued. “They understand that our mutual success can only be achieved by sharing common goals and priorities."

“We are delighted to receive this recognition of our work and the quality of our products and services,” replied Dr. Ulrich Jaroni, member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG responsible for the Auto business unit. “At the same time this award is motivation to keep on improving our performance even further."

The GM Supplier of the Year award began as a global program in 1992. Winners are selected by a global team of executives from purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and logistics who base their decisions on supplier performance in quality, service, technology and price. This year, General Motors honored 92 suppliers for their outstanding performance throughout 2007.

With a total crude steel output of around 14.5 million metric tons in fiscal 2006/2007, ThyssenKrupp Steel is Germany’s biggest and Europe’s second-biggest steel producer. The company employs roughly 40,000 people and generated sales of more than 13.2 billion euros last fiscal year. Within ThyssenKrupp Steel, the Auto business unit is responsible for business with global automotive customers.

The company supplies General Motors with electrogalvanized and hot-dip coated sheet as well as cold-rolled coil. High-strength and advanced high-strength steels for automotive weight reduction are also an important part of the supplies. Tailored Blanks are supplied by ThyssenKrupp Steel´s affiliate ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks GmbH.

Girls� Day: Doors open to young female talent 73 schoolgirls to visit ThyssenKrupp Steel in Duisburg, Bochum and Dortmund [Daily press, 23.04.2008]

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:00:00 GMT

76 girls aged between 10 and 17 – 32 in Duisburg, 21 in Bochum and 23 in Dortmund – will gain an insight into today’s apprenticeship training and modern technical professions. They will be able to find out about the diverse apprenticeship options at the company’s modern training centers. After a tour of the premises and a brief theoretical introduction, they will then move on to practical aspects: split into small groups, the girls will learn for example from trainers and apprentices how to set up local area networks on a computer, fix system errors and program computers and HTML pages. Via ThyssenKrupp’s Groupwide e-learning system LiNet24-7 they will try their hand at programs such as PowerPoint. They will also learn about filing, soldering, bolting and measuring. As part of the interactive exercises they will make small items such as name badges, key rings, bottle openers and circuit boards, which they can take home with them. They will also connect up a pneumatic control system and put it into operation.

The aim of the practical exercises is to show the girls that technology is not just something for boys, but that they too could easily get into technology. Female apprentices, who will join their male colleagues in accompanying the schoolgirls on Girls’ Day, will also act as ice-breakers: living proof that women can enjoy technology too.

Modernization complete: Hot-dip coating line 3 in Finnentrop goes back into operation with new interchangeable pot system [Daily press, 05.04.2008]

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:00:00 GMT

The construction work lasted approximately five months but today it was officially completed and a fully overhauled and modernized hot-dip coating line 3 went back into operation. The line at ThyssenKrupp Steel in Finnentrop is fit for the future.

Since mid-March the line has been able to coat hot- and cold-rolled strip not only with zinc but also with aluminum. To allow this, the entry and galvanizing sections of hot-dip coating line 3 were extensively modernized. A new pit was built where the zinc pot was previously situated and in it were installed both a zinc and an aluminum pot. The pots are made of ceramic material and can be moved on tracks to facilitate switches in production. The zinc pot holds 160 tons and the aluminum pot 60 tons.

The centerpiece of the 12 million euro investment in Finnentrop is a 50 meter tall cooling tower colored in different shades of blue. The new, taller tower was necessary because the steel strip is very hot after coating, due to the higher melting point of aluminum, and requires a long cooling section – around 50 meters. Arriving at a temperature of around 680 degrees Celsius, the strip is cooled with up to a million cubic meters of air per hour. Although the new landmark in Finnentrop is taller and wider than the previous cooling tower, the cooling process is actually quieter for nearby residents thanks to better insulation and modern technology.

Hot-dip coating line 3 was commissioned on March 14 and is scheduled to produce its first hot-dip aluminized strip at the end of April. The main customer for this innovative product is the auto industry, which uses it to make high-value safety components. 100,000 tons and more of this product will be manufactured in Finnentrop in the future. The overall capacity of the plant is around 450,000 tons of coated steel strip per year.

Groundbreaking ceremony for state-of-the-art flat steel processing center in Krefeld ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center to invest 60 million euros in new site [Daily press, 28.03.2008]

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:00:00 GMT

With the groundbreaking ceremony completed, work began on March 26 on the construction of a state-of-the-art flat steel processing center in Krefeld. This 60 million euro investment is a clear commitment to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as a business location. “In the long term, up to 300 direct and indirect jobs could be created here in Krefeld,” said Dr. Jost A. Massenberg, Executive Board member of ThyssenKrupp Steel. He wielded a spade today along with Christian Korn and Detlef Schotten, both managing directors of ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center GmbH, Krefeld’s mayor Gregor Kathstede and Elisabeth Lehnen, managing director of Hafen Krefeld GmbH & Co. KG.

Upon completion of construction work in the Krefeld port area, which is scheduled for the end of 2009, the headquarters of ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center GmbH will relocate to Krefeld. Covering an area of 150,000 square meters, the planned flat steel processing center will feature state-of-the-art machinery, sophisticated logistics and an optimized infrastructure. From 2010 it will have the capacity to process around 600,000 metric tons of carbon steel slit strip and cut-to-length sheet – including high-strength grades suitable for outer skin applications in the automotive industry.

“The investment will not just benefit the city of Krefeld and our subsidiary ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center,” emphasized Massenberg, “it will also play a key role in the forward strategy of ThyssenKrupp Steel. The new site in Krefeld is an important part of this strategy and creates the conditions for a sustainable increase in our capacities to supply regular customers in Germany and other parts of Europe. At the same time it will ensure that we can continue to meet ever-increasing quality requirements in the future.”

The color coordinated buildings will provide an optical highlight. Massenberg: “The colors recall the velvet and silk materials produced here since the 17th century which have made Krefeld famous and successful.”

“In the future, we intend to maintain our position as one of Germany and Europe’s leading flat steel service centers and continue to meet our customers’ constantly increasing quality requirements in full,” said Christian Korn. “That’s why we will be combining the production operations and longstanding expertise of our three North Rhine-Westphalian branches in Bochum, Breyell and Leverkusen here in Krefeld.” A further argument in favor of Krefeld as a location is the city’s infrastructure. “Water, road and rail links to the port of Krefeld are ideal,” Korn added.

Krefeld’s mayor Gregor Kathstede is also in no doubt: “Krefeld is the ideal location for this project. The city’s links with steel are just as strong as its links with velvet and silk. And with the port, our highway access and the qualified workforce in and around the city, Krefeld offers the potential that global steel companies need today. Krefeld takes its responsibility to companies and to providing employment seriously and is pleased to be able to provide ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center with the kind of locational advantages that will offer the company a good future.”

Elisabeth Lehnen, managing director of port operator Hafen Krefeld GmbH & Co. KG, regarded it as a “great success that, so soon after being privatized, the company has been able to attract a beacon project to Krefeld which will make major use of our rail and port infrastructure and demonstrate that Krefeld’s port is an attractive trimodal terminal.”

ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center GmbH has branches, subsidiaries and equity interests in Germany, France, Poland and Spain. The group employs more than 900 people and generated sales of over 1.3 billion euros in fiscal year 2006/2007. Its services include: custom production of steel in the form of slit strip or cut-to-size sheet, management of customer supply chains, and extensive customer support including technical consultancy. Processing can be performed on hot-rolled, cold-rolled and coated sheet, tinplate and stainless steel.

Up to 2010, ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center GmbH will be investing a total of 100 million euros in expanding its capacities in Krefeld and at other sites. In Germany as a whole, various measures will increase current capacity levels of 1.2 million metric tons per year to 1.4 million tons. In addition, a new service center was opened in Poland a year ago. Plans also include a significant increase in the share of the French market for high-end products. Target groups in France include automotive OEMs and suppliers.

Rasselstein growth bucks market trend [Daily press, 25.03.2008]

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:00:00 GMT

“Despite significant price increases, tinplate from Germany will remain in demand worldwide.” This is the confident forecast of Dr. Ulrich Roeske, CEO of Rasselstein GmbH, Germany’s only tinplate producer.

Speaking to journalists in Düsseldorf, Roeske outlined how the Andernach-based company, a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, Duisburg, is gearing up to deal with stiffening global competition. Over 160 million euros of capital investment in state-of-the-art facilities in recent years have turned Rasselstein into the world’s largest production facility for tinplate with a capacity of 1.5 million tons. The company employs around 2,400 people. Rasselstein is the biggest single customer of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, taking around 10 percent of its hot band production.

Rasselstein’s main sales region for tinplate, the raw material for food, beverage, aerosol and other cans, is the enlarged area of Europe. Bucking the trend on this generally stagnating market, Rasselstein has increased both its market share and its absolute level of shipments. “Our existing customers have been a key factor, accounting for 95 percent of this growth,” said Roeske. The company was pursuing an uncompromising premium strategy in which “technology and quality are key priorities,” he continued.

The almost 250-year-old company is a vital part of the local economy at its site in Rhineland-Palatinate. The latest investment by the ThyssenKrupp Group is seen as a commitment to the tinplate business and to Germany as a manufacturing location.

The international tinplate market is a niche market, accounting for roughly 1 percent of total world steel consumption. Steel is resisting competition from other packaging materials thanks above all to its ecological advantages, a key factor alongside safety, cost and production-related benefits.

Whereas Rasselstein can rely on its innovativeness as an important competitive advantage over other materials and other tinplate manufacturers, cost is becoming a serious concern. “Never before have we experienced such a simultaneous explosion in the costs of almost all our input materials,” says Roeske. “With ore prices set to go up by 65 percent in 2008 and prices for alloying elements, coal, energy, scrap and transportation also rising, we face drastic increases in our starting material costs.” One particular cost factor is the price of tin, currently at an all-time high of over 20,000 dollars per ton.

“The increases in our own tinplate manufacturing costs come on top of the raw material costs,” says Roeske, pointing to already announced further price increases for hot band. These costs will have to be charged on to the market, he says. “Our customers have good arguments for passing on the price increases we are having to impose on them. Quality has its price.” Despite the concerns, Roeske remains optimistic: “With the quality of its products and its unique range of services and technical support, Rasselstein is confident of continuing high demand.”

Fifth furnace campaign can begin: Blast furnace 1 in Duisburg-Schwelgern to restart operation in April after modernization [Daily press, 19.03.2008]

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:00:00 GMT

After a record downtime of only 70 days, blast furnace Schwelgern 1 of ThyssenKrupp Steel in Duisburg is expected to begin its fifth campaign (production period between major overhauls) at the beginning of April. Built in 1973, the unit was shut down at the end of January after a campaign lasting approximately 12 years.

The unit is now being completely modernized. The inside of the blast furnace is being relined with refractory material – 5,500 tons of advanced material will be used for this alone. A specialized contractor is carrying out the bricklaying work from five platforms arranged at different heights – a particularly fast and effective method of operation. In addition, the furnace cooling system is being upgraded. 1,800 out of a total of 2,100 cooling plates are being replaced, and six rows of cooling plates will replace one row of staves to intensify cooling in the bosh.

In the casthouses, the complete runner system and refractory lining are being replaced. The taphole equipment is also being overhauled. The refectory lining of the hot blast stoves is being refurbished, the screens, controls and extraction lines in the stockhouse are being modernized. Further repairs and renewals are being carried out on the coal injection system, gas cleaning system, emergency water supply, re-cooling system, slag granulation system as well as the expansion turbine, clarification plant and sludge drying system.

An approximately 300-strong team from ThyssenKrupp Steel is handling this gigantic modernization project with the help of around 100 national and international contractors – a significant proportion of the work is being carried out by companies from other segments of the ThyssenKrupp Group. Around 1,100 external workers are busy on the site each day. The relining work is being coordinated from a specially built 10,000 square meter container village. The mobile offices are the nerve center of the planning effort, but there is also enough space for fabrication and storage.

The project was planned down to the last detail over a one and a half year period in order to keep downtime as short as possible. The project team drew on experience from previous relines to optimize work processes and carry out certain jobs – for example on the auxiliary units – before the furnace was shut down. The team is optimistic that it will complete the work within 70 days. By way of comparison, the last reline in 1996 took over 80. Every day counts in a major modernization project like this because downtime means loss of production. The reline of blast furnace 1 is part of a general program to overhaul ThyssenKrupp Steel’s ironmaking operations, and precise coordination is essential to minimize production losses. The fifth campaign of Schwelgern 1, due to begin in April, will be the longest so far: the project team expects it to last more than 12 years.

Overall, the upgrade represents an investment of around 150 million euros, and over a tenth of the cost is for additional pollution control equipment. To further improve the environmental situation, a new filter unit was built to collect casthouse and stockhouse dust in 2004. The new unit was part of an extensive dust reduction program which ThyssenKrupp Stahl agreed in April 2001 with the North Rhine Westphalia environment ministry. As part of the 2008 reline, the stockhouse dust extraction system is being renewed, the hoods on the slag granulation unit are being replaced and the silencers on the energy-recovery expansion turbine are being overhauled. Also, the noise barriers in the clarification plant and sludge drying system are being renewed to minimize noise emissions. Incidentally, when the furnace was built at the beginning of the 1970s the casthouse and stockhouse dust collection systems, gas cleaning, water treatment and noise protection facilities were regarded as the latest in international blast furnace technology.

Since blast furnace Schwelgern 1 began operation on February 13, 1973, new technical solutions have been found and implemented which are today international standard. The then August-Thyssen-Hütte (ATH) in Duisburg celebrated the new blast furnace as the largest in the Western world. It was a project of gigantic dimensions: on 17.5 hectares of land, 210,000 cubic meters of earth were excavated for the 110 meter tall furnace with a hearth diameter of 14 meters and a furnace capacity of 4,200 cubic meters. 70,000 cubic meters of concrete and 38,000 tons of steel were needed for the foundations, platforms and buildings. By comparison, the same amount of steel could be used to build nearly four bridges over the Rhine.

After three and a half decades of production, blast furnace Schwelgern 1 will produce its one hundred millionth ton of pig iron at the beginning of May 2008 – a benchmark which only few blast furnaces worldwide have achieved. Each day, the furnace, which was built for 175 million euros, gets through around 20 freight trains each containing 20 cars of ore, sinter, coke and coal. It produces 10,000 tons of pig iron a day, twice as much as the previous best blast furnace. Every second, two blowers press around 100 cubic meters of blast air through 40 tuyeres into the furnace. Almost 100 water pumps are installed for cooling, gas cleaning and converting blast furnace slag into granulate. The water is treated and completely recycled.

Today, blast furnace Schwelgern 1 provides 550 jobs for employees of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, plus several times that number at outside contractors in the region.

ThyssenKrupp Steel and Worthington Industries bundle tailored blanks activities within NAFTA [Trade press, 05.03.2008]

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:00:00 GMT

ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks GmbH brings its Mexican subsidiary company ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks S.A. de C.V. as a contribution into the US Joint Venture TWB Company L.L.C. TWB was established in 1991 as a joint venture between ThyssenKrupp Steel North America, Inc., and Worthington Industries for the production of tailored blanks. ThyssenKrupp Steel by the contribution of its Mexican subsidiary becomes the majority shareholder in TWB.

ThyssenKrupp Steel will provide the industrial leadership of TWB, which furthers the integration of TWB into their worldwide tailored blanks network. By bringing together the tailored blanks activities, ThyssenKrupp Steel responds to the demand by automotive industry customers for a supplier with global presence.

The Mexican company Tailored Blanks S.A. de C.V. has its registered office in Puebla and supplies a local car manufacturer with customised, laser-welded steel sheets. The company was established in 2001 and has a workforce of 38 employees. TWB Company has a workforce of around 400 employees. TWB supplies the major US car manufacturers with tailored blanks. The company is based in Monroe, Michigan. There are also four additional production sites, two of which are also located in Mexico.

ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks GmbH is a subsidiary company of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG. In addition to their presence in Mexico and the US, ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks GmbH is also present with companies in China, Turkey, Italy, Sweden and the Czech Republic. In Germany, ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks operates three plants. Worthington Industries is one of the largest independent steel trading companies in the US.

Tailored blanks are sheets of different thickness, steel grade and coating which are joined together by laser welding. At the car plant, the blanks can be formed for example into doors, tailgates, floors and side members. Tailored blanks are designed from the outset to match the loads in the finished part. Today, up to 25 percent of a car body can be made from tailored blanks, resulting in weight reductions of 20 to 40 percent.

Brazilian President Lula visits steel mill construction site in Sepetiba Bay [Daily press, 29.02.2008]

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited ThyssenKrupp CSA Siderúrgica do Atlântico in Santa Cruz, in the Federal State of Rio de Janeiro. During his visit of several hours at the construction site of the new steel mill in Sepetiba Bay, Lula – speaking in front of more than 10,000 construction workers - stressed the importance of the project for Brazil and for the Federal State of Rio de Janeiro.

In his welcoming speech, Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler, member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp AG and Chairman of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, recalled the long and successful history of ThyssenKrupp in Brazil and emphasized: “The steel mill which involves an investment of 3 billion euros, will be a solid basis for the continuation of these excellent relations.“ Like President Lula, Dr. Köhler praised the high commitment and competence of the construction workers and of the 600 employees of ThyssenKrupp CSA. After a helicopter flight over the nine square kilometer construction site, on which Lula was accompanied by Sergio Cabral, the Governor of Rio de Janeiro, the President welcomed the 14.058th construction worker Paulo Roberto Dias as well as Rosana Kelly, Senai student, who will soon sign an employment contract with ThyssenKrupp CSA.

President Lula was accompanied by the Ministers Miguel Jorge (Development) and Edson Santos (Racial Equality). ThyssenKrupp CSA was represented by Dr. Hans-Ulrich Lindenberg, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Aristides Corbellini, President and CEO, and the members of the Executive Board Ricardo Carpinetti (Finance), Friedrich-Wilhelm Schaefer (Project), Rodrigo Tostes (Contract) and Heyno Smith (Operations).

ThyssenKrupp Steel celebrates apprenticeship graduation: 149 apprentices complete their training, 144 retained [Daily press, 18.02.2008]

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:00:00 GMT

149 apprentices of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG last week passed the 2007/2008 winter examination at the Duisburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce and are now entering into working life. Following an interview process it is planned to retain 144 apprentices, 139 on time-limited contracts and five on permanent contracts. It is expected that the time-limited contracts will convert into permanent contracts in twelve months. ThyssenKrupp Steel HR director Kroll: "The fact that we are retaining so many is due to the Program Future agreed in summer 2006 which offers young people a greater chance of long-term employment at ThyssenKrupp Steel".

In addition to having an apprentice ratio in excess of its own needs, ThyssenKrupp Steel is continuing the "Chance" project launched in association with the Agentur für Arbeit (Employment Agency) which offers work prospects to applicants who do not satisfy the regular apprenticeship requirements. ThyssenKrupp Steel is continuing this successful project in fiscal 2007/2008 with an offer of 23 pre-qualification places. Since this initiative started, 53 out of 72 participants have earned an apprenticeship place - the vast majority of 49 with ThyssenKrupp Steel.

In the meantime the application process for new recruits is already in full swing. After it ends on September 1, 2008 it is expected that another 331 young people will begin their apprenticeship in the autumn at the sites of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, 217 in Duisburg alone. Information on the fourteen apprenticeship occupations can be found in the "Career" section of our website: http://www.thyssenkrupp-steel.com/de/career/ausbildung/.

Pythagoras, Euclid, Gauss & Co: Events at ThyssenKrupp Steel in Duisburg in the Year of Mathematics [Daily press, 12.02.2008]

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:00:00 GMT

The Science Year of Mathematics, officially opened in Berlin by federal education minister Annette Schavan at the end of January, is casting its shadow before at ThyssenKrupp Steel: In the course of 2008 a number of high-caliber events will take place at the Duisburg site of Germany’s biggest steelmaker. By staging the events ThyssenKrupp Steel aims to underline the importance of technology and the sciences, especially mathematics, for the forward-looking education of young people. “Many young people find the subjects of technology, mathematics and science daunting. It all seems incredibly complicated and dry,” says Klaus Bailer, senior vice president personnel/social policy at ThyssenKrupp Steel. “We aim to change this. We want to create understanding for these subjects in the minds of school students by presenting them in an exciting and informative way.”

For example, the company is organizing a ThyssenKrupp Steel Special Prize as part of the regional heat of the 2008 “Jugend forscht” science competition: The author of the best research project on the subject of mathematics will win a day at the Alfried Krupp Student Laboratory at the Ruhr University Bochum for his or her school class.

In addition, the exciting traveling mathematics exhibition from the Mathematikum museum in Giessen will be paying a visit to Duisburg: From September 4 to 26, children and young people will be able to learn about and experience the fascinating world of mathematics. 25 exhibits will be on display – including the square puzzle, a numbers cabinet and a geometric tent. The exhibition is aimed at all age groups.

During the mathematics exhibition ThyssenKrupp Steel will also be staging a Day of the Mathematics Industry. Senior school students interested in mathematics will be invited to a vivid demonstration of the practical significance of mathematics in industry. A series of workshops are planned in which students can join professionals in carrying out investment appraisals or calculating mechanical properties. “Here the students will learn that mathematics is a living part of daily work in many areas of professional life,” explains Bailer.

Last but not least, the Mathematics Olympics will take place at ThyssenKrupp Steel on November 14. This is a competition organized by the association Landesverband Mathematikwettbewerbe Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V. to promote the education of school students interested in mathematics. In the first round students have to send in a homework project and in the second they take a written test. ThyssenKrupp Steel will be providing examination facilities for around 140 students and will honor the winners at a prize ceremony.