The SMS group has been entrusted by SULB Company BSC, based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with the rebuild of the 130 t electric arc furnace (EAF) and the modernization of a four-strand casting plant for the production of billets and blooms. Increasing occupational safety for the operating personnel and improving the efficiency and productivity of the equipment, which in turn will lead to an improvement in product quality, are the main objectives of the modernization project. The commissioning of the modernized facilities is scheduled for 2024.
SULB's plant in Bahrain's Hidd Industrial Area maps the entire process from the production of direct-reduced iron to finished steel.
Slag door for improved sealing
The aim of the modernization is to improve the sealing of the furnace atmosphere, which will allow an increase in the productivity of the furnace. As part of the modernization, the electric arc furnace will be equipped with a CONDOOR® slag door, which will also ensure increased safety for the operating personnel thanks to automatic slag cleaning. The removal of slag with the aid of forklifts is no longer necessary. The modernization also reduces specific energy consumption and increases production output. The iron oxide content in the slag is also significantly reduced.
The four-strand caster is designed to produce six profile formats. Here, as part of the modernization, an increase in casting speeds and thus productivity is to be achieved through additional cooling and strand support in the upper segments.
The scope of the modernization includes the rebuild of segment 1 for blooms and bloom sections, including new spray cooling, water baffles, a new hydraulic system, and an expanded steam extraction system. The modernization of the casting plant will enable SULB to produce more flexibly in the future and thus respond better to market needs.
Long-term cooperation
"We have chosen the SMS group because we trust in both the leading technology and the excellent team of SMS. We are linked by a close, long-standing partnership. For SULB, the focus is on environmentally compatible steel production. SMS' know-how and equipment help us to continuously improve the quality of our products while increasing our productivity and making our production more environmentally friendly," explains Ravi Singh, Chief Executive Officer of SULB.
SULB is a fully integrated manufacturer of medium and heavy beams and structural steel sections in the Middle East. The company is a joint venture between Foulath Holding BSC and Japan's Yamato Kogyo Co, Ltd, which also produces beams and structural steel sections. The company operates two production facilities, one in Hidd in the Kingdom of Bahrain and one in Jubail in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In Jubail, SULB produces light and medium-weight beams on a section mill also supplied by the SMS group.
