An investment in Duisburg-Beeckerwerth worth millions makes the location fit for the future.

A ladle furnace is used in secondary metallurgy to treat molten steel. It occupies a position between the converter and the continuous caster in the production process of a steel plant. Its primary task consists in heating molten metal.

The construction of the new unit will enable the Steel division of thyssenkrupp to expand its product portfolio to include materials with high-alloy qualities. Demand for these special types of steel is constantly increasing, especially in the automotive industry. The new equipment consists of a double ladle furnace with a capacity of 265 metric tons. It will enable the company to increase energy efficiency and reduce overhead.

In addition, a dust extraction unit and alloy facility is being built at the oxygen steel plant in Duisburg in the course of modernization. thyssenkrupp is investing a total of approximately €40 million in this project. “It wasn’t an easy decision for us to make,” says Andreas Goss, CEO of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG. “But it was our way of sending a signal that the German steel industry in general and our location in particular are fit for the future.” The new ladle furnace can treat types of steel that contain alloying agents in excess of five percent (for example, manganese). This enables us to produce tougher materials for lightweight automobile construction and more.

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