Chinese steelmaker starts EAF mill

Chinese steel producer Henan Yaxin Steel Group Co. Ltd. (Henan Yaxin) has started up its electric arc furnace (EAF) minimill for flat products at its Fujian Dingsheng plant in Fujian province, China. The mill consists of two EAF Quantum electric arc furnaces provided by United Kingdom-based Primetals Technologies.

The scrap-fed process allows for 85 percent CO₂ savings compared to integrated production, according to Primetals. Each EAF unit at the melt shop in Fujian has a maximum tapping weight of 115 metric tons, adds the technology provider. The accompanying Arvedi endless strip production (ESP) line, also supplied by Primetals, has a design capacity of 2.5 million metric tons per year.

Privately held Henan Yaxin operates integrated and compact steelmaking plants in five provinces and cities in China and can produce more than 10 million metric tons of steel each year, says Primetals.

The steelmaker’s newest EAF mill includes “an innovative scrap feeding process” and other features, according to Primetals, designed to “attain significantly reduced tap-to-tap times.” Primetals also describes the mill’s electrical energy requirements as “considerably less than that of a conventional EAF” plant.