Siemens VAI Metals Technologies:

W. Auer, Executive Director, redaktion@stahleisen.de

Steel is and remains the world’s number 1 industrial raw material. Demand will continue to rise, transforming production at the same time. Rising raw material and energy prices, imminent CO₂ duties, the production of new steel grades with special properties and a clearly longer useful life of plants are calling for new solutions for iron and steel production and will be transforming production processes and plants. The steel of the future will become increasingly sophisticated and demands on its competitive production will drive both steel companies and plant manufacturer sever further towards new maximum performance. Atthe same time, innovative companies are redefining basic conditions for sustainable production. This development is not new because the determining factors underlying iron and steel production are changing constantly. Fordecades, the European steel industry has safeguarded its locations with innovations and new processes, and has continued to expand its technological leadershipin terms of processes and production methods. A number of new plant and process engineering developments have clearly reduced the amounts of raw materials and energy needed, while at the same time further boosting output. The improved production figures reflect demands for more environmental protection.

The steel industry in Germanyhas enhanced steel production through plant and process engineering, thus boosting raw material and energy efficiency. Steel producers are fighting off the stranglehold of the raw materials markets with the introduction of new and more efficient technologies. The most recent plants that weare constructing in India or China are increasingly conforming to our environmental protection possibilities and standards.