Peru’s Aceros Arequipa and SMS group have signed a contract for a new vacuum tank degasser at the former’s Pisco plant to be commissioned by early 2022.
The degasser unit will be integrated into the SMS recently installed electric arc furnace (EAF) meltshop, which will enable Aceros Arequipa to increase product quality and total annual production capacity.
Degassing will lower hydrogen content in manufactured steel and will allow Aceros Arequipa to produce higher steel grades for grinding balls. The nitrogen and oxygen control mechanisms will also allow the company to improve its production of special bar quality (SBQ) for higher load applications.
The company expects to be a leader in high-quality steel manufacturing grades in South American with the EAF and vacuum degasser installation. The move into higher value-added products will allow Aceros Arequipa to decrease the region’s dependence on imports.
Aceros Arequipa fabricates long and flat steel products for the construction, civil engineering, and mining industries. The company exports its products within South America and the US.
Aceros Arequipa’s Pisco plant was originally slated to be operational by May this year with an expected annual production capacity of 1.25mn mt of finished steel.