Algoma Steel taps Danieli to design its electric arc furnaces

Algoma Steel has selected a familiar equipment supplier to help design its proposed electric arc furnaces.

The Sault Ste. Marie steelmaker has selected Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A as the technology provider for the $700-million steelmaking facility.

The proposed furnace complex will involve two 250-ton electric furnaces with capacity to produce 3.7 million tons of liquid steel.

Danieli previously designed and delivered on Algoma's Direct Strip Product Complex (DSPC) in the mid-1990s, a cornerstone slabcasting technology that converts liquid steel to a steel coil in 30 minutes. Danieli has been involved in other mill refurbishments at Algoma over the years.

Headquartered in Buttrio, Italy, Danieli is a global equipment supplier to the metals industry.

Algoma said earlier this week that construction for the EAF furnace complex has already started.

In a news release, Algoma said Danieli has a "proven AC-Digimelter technology powered by Q-One digital power systems" that was deemed the best choice for the steel producer. The Danieli power system will be able to deliver a rated capacity of more than 190 megavolt amps for each furnace.

Algoma, a producer of hot and cold rolled sheet and plate steel, said these new furnaces will be designed to produce high-quality liquid steel from recycled steel scrap, with the option for the direct addition of a range of other iron feeds.

The new facility will also have an automated scrap yard featuring automatic cranes, scrap visual recognition, and automatic scrap sorting and charging. Danieli will also design a vacuum degasser system with an oxygen blowing facility to the process to help deliver advanced grades of steel and further enhance steel cleanliness and final product quality.