SMS supplies ladle degassing plant and Steckel mill to complete large-scale project in Venezuela

SMS Siemag, Germany, has been awarded an order for the supply of plants for the second construction stage of the new integrated steel making and processing complex of Siderúrgica Nacional (SN) in Venezuela. The scope of supply comprises a ladle degassing plant and a Twin-stand Steckel mill for the production of hot strip. The first stage of the works complex, which is currently under construction, comprises an electric steelmaking plant, a continuous caster and a heavy-plate mill. In the final construction stage, this works located in Ciudad Piar in the federal state of Bolivar, Venezuela will have an annual capacity of 1.55 million tons. It will produce heavy plate and hot strip for the supply of the local industry.

The new 200-ton VD X-eed^® plant (Vacuum Degassing), to be supplied by SMS Mevac, Germany, will complete the X-Melt^® electric steelmaking plant and allow the production of high-quality tube steel and ULC grades with low carbon content. In the final construction stage, the ladle degassing plant will have two treatment stands. The vacuum pump system will be equipped with a four-stage steam ejector vacuum pump for the efficient generation of the process vacuum. For effective cleaning of the process gases, a modern Venturi washer will be used.

The Twin-stand Steckel mill will be designed for the production of 844,000 tons of hot strip per year with a maximum strip width of 1,880 millimeters. The core equipment of the Steckel mill consists of two identical four-high stands in tandem arrangement. It will roll out the transfer bars arriving from the heavy-plate mill to final thicknesses between 1.5 and 18 millimeters. Further components of the Steckel mill are the strip cooling system, a down coiler and the coil transfer system.

SMS Siemag is also supplying the complete electrical and auto-mation package for the plants of the second construction stage. The X-Pact® automation solutions include the process automation (level 1) and the technological process models (level 2). The auto-mation system will be tested beforehand under realistic conditions using the Plug & Work method developed by SMS Siemag.

The scope of supply for SMS Siemag further includes the complete technological equipment, commissioning and comprehensive training for the customer’s personnel.

An important milestone in winning the order was the financial hedging of the project. This is done through a consortium of European banks which provides a buyer's credit secured by Hermes to finance the SMS Siemag supply share.

Siderúrgica Nacional is a company state-owned by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. It builds the complete plant together with the Brazilian company Construtora Andrade Gutierrez S.A. on the basis of an EPC contract (EPC - Engineering, Procurement and Construction).

The new plant complex for Siderúrgica Nacional in its final construction stage

Twin-stand Steckel mill

Based on SMS group information