Steel industry news and business information website.

CORPORATE NEWS

Provision of guarantee relating to the obligations of ... 
Tue 19th Jun 2018 01:00 GMT
Further to the announcement on 19 June 2018 that the shareholders of EVRAZ plc (the Company ) had approved the recommended proposal for the Company and its indirect subsidiary, JSC EVRAZ ZSMK, to provide a guarantee (the Proposed Guarantee ) of the obligations of the Companys wholly owned subsidiary EVRAZ Mezhdurechensk under certain management contracts, the Company is pleased to announce that the Proposed Guarantee has been entered into [full report]

Three-year action plan aims for blue skies 
Mon 18th Jun 2018 21:26 GMT
The ratio of blue-sky days in the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Henan and Shandong was less than 60 percent and key industries such as steel, iron and coal-fueled power generation. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment launched a 10-month nationwide [full report]

Thyssenkrupp boards working hard to get Tata Steel deal ... 
Mon 18th Jun 2018 01:00 GMT
By Tom Kckenhoff DUESSELDORF Reuters - Thyssenkrupp's (DE:TKAG) needs to quickly clinch a deal for a planned European steel joint venture with Tata Steel (NS:TISC), its chief executive said [full report]

NLMK Group to employ new technology to boost quality ... 
Mon 18th Jun 2018 01:00 GMT
NLMK Group, a global steel company, is designing equipment to implement stamp charging process at Altai-Koks. This will boost coke quality and reduce the cost of its production through use of more cost-efficient grades of coking coals. Stamping technology is under implementation at Coke Plant No. 5, which launched in 2006 with a design capacity of 1.1 mtpa, and covers 25% of all Altai-Koks production needs. The scope of the project includes an overhaul of the plant, construction of a storage [full report]

Steel prices are likely to moderate - Jeferies 
Sun 17th Jun 2018 23:21 GMT
China has launched environmental checks (end May to early July) across 10 provinces incl. steel making provinces of Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu (52% of China output) to review corrective measures taken w.r.t violations found last year. Several EAF/induction [full report]

INDUSTRY NEWS

Global Stainless Steel Shower Drains Market Research ... 
Wed 20th Jun 2018 04:58 GMT
Stainless Steel Shower Drains used in Household Used Malaysia and Vietnam) South America (Brazil etc.) Middle East and Africa (Egypt and GCC Countries) The various contributors involved in the value chain of the product include [see news]

Iron ore lump prices surge on China environmental curbs 
Wed 20th Jun 2018 04:27 GMT
Environmental curbs in Shandong and Tangshan have helped pushed lump demand higher. Shandong put restrictions on steel operations from 1-11 June because of an international conference in Qingdao, while Tangshan has imposed frequent curbs on sintering to [see news]

Chinese reduced coal import restrictions 
Wed 20th Jun 2018 04:10 GMT
Limits on how quickly customs ports can process coal imports were eased, with ports in Shandong, Fujian and Guangzhou provinces having accelerated their clearance times to 10 days from 15 working days, according to industry platform Coal Lakes. Other ports [see news]

Chinas multi-storey hog hotels elevate industrial farms ... 
Wed 20th Jun 2018 03:48 GMT
Two other companies are building high-rise hog farms in Fujian as well, according to an equipment firm and costs for concrete or steel would be higher, he said. Health concerns also raise costs, because the risk of rampant disease is higher with [see news]

Iron ore prices to stay at USD 60 to 70 per DMT - CISA 
Wed 20th Jun 2018 01:03 GMT
China iron and steel association said that seaborne iron ore prices will Prices of domestic pellet feed concentrate increased in May, with ex-Tangshan prices rising by 10-20 yuan/dmt (USD 1.50-3.15/dmt), while mainstream imported fines in Tangshan [see news]

Tangshan awarded order to Primetals Technologies to expand ... 
Tue 19th Jun 2018 23:21 GMT
Tangshan Iron and Steel Group Co Ltd a Chinese steel producer, has awarded Primetals Technologies an order to further expand the existing condition monitoring system, which was also implemented by Primetals Technologies, in cold rolling mill no. 2 at its [see news]

SELECTED STEEL INDUSTRY MAPS

Chinese seamless tube mills

For other steel location maps, visit our steel industry maps page.

STEEL PLANT CAPITAL INVESTMENT COSTS

BOF SLAB PLANT

All cost estimates are in 2016 US dollars.
For further info visit our steel capex page.

Capital costs describe investment for an integrated slab plant with continuous casting, typically with coke, sinter etc. Representative investments include:

• CSA slab mill investment in Sepetiba, Brazil
• CSN investment in Itaguai, Brazil
• CVRD-Baosteel joint venture in Vitoria, Espirito Santo in Brazil
• Sinosteel Corporation's investment in Jharkand, India.

Average cost: $4300m
Average capacity: 4210 kt
Sample size: 12
Average cost/tonne: $1050/t

INTEGRATED HOT STRIP MILL

All cost estimates are in 2016 US dollars.
For further info visit our steel capex page.

Chart describes investments in ore-based integrated steel plants with hot strip production and sometimes other additional downstream rolling capability. Typical examples include:

• Wuhan Iron & Steel investment in Fangchengang Port in China
• ArcelorMittal investment in Karnataka, India
• Tata Steel joint venture with VSC & Vicem for investment in Vung Ang in Vietnam.

Average cost: $7560m
Average capacity: 6660 kt
Sample size: 16
Average cost/tonne: $1200/t

Notes
Analyses above were last updated in January 2016. For further item-specific capital investment data see our steel capex database page.

EMPLOYMENT BENCHMARKS

Chart above shows current employment levels at 114 different steel firms around the world - companies that make flat, long and/or tubular carbon steel products. An average steel producer with a production potential of ~3 mt steel/year typically thus has ~4000 employees. If your steel company employs more than this, please call us - our technical experts can assist with steel plant productivity improvement.

To discuss the interpretation of this chart and/or further information (including employment benchmarks for specialty steel production) please email us at the address shown at the foot of the page.

INDUSTRY SUPPLY & DEMAND FORECASTS FOR YEARS 2017-2018

Table below shows global crude steel production volumes and capacity figures - as assessed by World Steel Association and by the OECD to 2018 - and resulting calculation of steelmaking capacity utilisation. The overall picture for 2018 as compared to 2017 is that of a tiny reduction in the global capacity surplus [which will fall from ~602mt to ~598mt] and a small but significant improvement in world capacity utilisation at the crude steel level.

Graph below shows the relationship between steel prices and global plant loading - and indicates (both for HRC and for rebar) that prices fall ~$27/tonne per 1% drop in capacity utilisation.

In 2017, on the basis that world capacity utilisation remains largely at 2016 levels of approx 67.4% (see table), MCI's consultants expect steel prices to remain at 2016 levels. In 2018, assuming a very small improvement in global plant loading, we forecast just a tiny increase in steel price levels of the order of $5/tonne (hot rolled coil and reinforcing bar). For other products and / or for steel price forecasts through to 2020, please contact us.

OTHER USEFUL METAL INDUSTRY WEBSITES

Why not check out the following websites?

American Metal Market (AMM) at www.amm.com
Steel Guru at www.steelguru.com
SteelOrbis at www.steelorbis.com
Metal Bulletin at www.metalbulletin.com