Production Plants

Qatar Steel has embarked upon various projects with a systematic approach for improving the productivity of all its operations.

At present Qatar Steel has 3 UHP Electric Arc Furnaces of 80 tons capacity each; two of them are conventional launder type tapping, equipped with 50 MVA. The third EAF, is EBT type and split shell design, with a transformer capacity of 70 MVA. A ladle refining furnace (LRF3) has been installed for the EAF in order to produce quality steel as well as to increase productivity. LRF3 is in operational since November 2006, due to which the tap to tap time is reduced from 75 minutes to 60 minutes per charge. With the installation of a HiJet for EF3 for carbon and oxygen injection very soon will further reduce tap to tap time. With the additional of this LF3 and HiJet the production figure of EF3 will reach a production capacity of 622,000 tons per year.

One more EAF (EF2R) is scheduled to start by May 2007 along with another Ladle Refining Furnace (LF2R), and a Continuous Casting Machine (CC2R). This unit will ensure a production capacity of 666,000 tons per year.

Also it is planned to install one more EAF/CC of 160 tons capacity state of the art EAF in a green field adjacent to the new DR with an annual capacity of 1.25 million tons per year which is expected to be in operation by June 2009.

• A Gunning Robot is installed in EF3 which enabled Qatar Steel to increase the furnace availability. Another unit is planned for EF2R during the year 2007.

• Installation of PYTOM - the online measurement of temperature and molten steel analysis is planned during the year 2007 to further reduce the tap to tap time thereby increasing productivity. The expected benefits are on-line control of the EAF process, possibility of on-demand temperature adjustment, less oiling & re-blows molten steel analysis online, less stress on refractories because overheating can be prevented completely.

The expected benefits are on-line control of the EAF process, possibility of on-demand temperature adjustment, less boiling and re-blows, Molten steel analysis online, less stress on refractories because overheating can be prevented completely.