Oschatz modernises cooling systems in Port Talbot

Tata Steel Europe relies on Oschatz technology and know-how during a development  at their Port Talbot steelworks in Wales. As world market leader in the field of evaporation cooling for the iron and steel industry, plant constructor Oschatz has been awarded the contract to renew the cooling systems in Port Talbot. The order includes the disassembly of the old cooling equipment as well as the design, manufacture, delivery and assembly of two new converter cooling stacks with evaporation cooling. It is the first time this kind of cooling system with steam utilisation will be implemented in the United Kingdom. The contract has a value of a double-digit million Euro range. 

“Port Talbot is to become one of the leading steel locations in Europe,” said Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler, CEO of Tata Steel Europe, in the course of this year’s Handelsblatt Annual Conference “Stahlmarkt 2011” concerning the planned modernisation. According to Dr. Köhler, one important element to sustain Port Talbot’s position on the European market is the optimisation of operational sequences. 

Until now the cooling of waste gases in the Port Talbot steelworks is achieved via cold water cooling in an open circuit. In times of increasing importance of resource efficiency and sustainability this technology is no longer reasonable as it offers no way of waste heat recovery – which means that existing energy remains unutilised. Furthermore the current cooling system is significantly prone to corrosion and thereby causes excessive downtime. For these reasons Tata Steel Europe took the decision to equip Port Talbot with up-to-date evaporation cooling made by Oschatz to be completed before the end of 2012. 

“We are pleased to observe the confidence which Tata Steel places in Oschatz,” says Dr Hans-Jürgen Schrag, Managing Partner of the Oschatz Group. “With over 160 years of experience and as world market leader in the field of evaporation cooling we are more than prepared for this contract. Together we will set standards and assure the long term competitive ability of Port Talbot.”

 The components will be manufactured in the brand-new, ultra-modern Oschatz production facility in Kocaeli / Turkey, site assembly starts in June 2012. Everything has to run like clockwork so the tight schedule can be maintained. The Oschatz assembly team will install approximately 350 tonnes of piping in the Port Talbot steelworks. After commissioning, which is planned for the third quarter of 2012, the new Oschatz cooling stacks will produce an average of 960 tonnes of saturated steam per day for the Port Talbot steelworks.

 About the Oschatz Group 

Oschatz is an innovative company that operates globally in the fields of plant construction, energy recovery and environmental technology. With more than 160 years of experience, 1.200 employees, six subsidiaries as well as representative offices all over the world, Oschatz is market leader in the product areas of iron and steel metallurgy, non-ferrous metallurgy, environmental and chemical technologies.

See also BBC NEWS at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13205516

BACK