IHI Receives Castrip Order from Nucor

Japanese major engineering company, IHI Corporation announced on Thursday the firm received an order from Nucor, world biggest electric furnace steel maker in USA, for a Castrip which can produce steel sheet from hot metal directly. Nucor will set a Castrip with output capacity of 500,000 tonnes per year at Blytheville works in Arkansas and start the operation at the end of 2008. The order value is several billion yen. This is the second Castrip introduced in the world. Castrip was co-developed by IHI, Nucor and Blue Scope Steel. Blue Scope Steel is a steel maker in Australia. The equipment can rapidly cool hot metal by 2 quenching rolls and produce steel sheet with below 2 millimeters of thickness. Moreover, Castrip reduces CO2 emission to one-fifth compared with an existing process, energy consumption to one-ninth and initial cost to one-forth compared with continuous thin slab casting method. The total length of the equipment decreases to 60 meters, one-tenth compared with existing process. Nucor introduced the world first Castrip in Crawfordsville works in Indiana and started the operation in May 2002. IHI aims to receive 2-3 Castrip orders per year in Europe where CO2 discharge regulation is severe, Asia and Middle East Asia where construction of mini steel works is expected.