Heine + Beisswenger weiht neues Logistikzentrum in Trossingen ein
Um seine Präsenz im Schwarzwald zu stärken, hat der Stahlhändler Heine + Beisswenger in Trossingen ein neues Hochregal eröffnet. Die Anlage ermöglicht einen breiteren Service und adressiert dadurch auch neue Kundengruppen.
Dem Unternehmen ist es gelungen, das Projekt innerhalb von 15 Monaten zu realisieren. Die Investitionen belaufen sich eigenen Angaben zufolge auf sieben Millionen Euro. „Heine + Beisswenger stärkt mit dieser Investition den Servicegrad für unsere Kunden vor Ort, hier in der Industrieregion Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg. Diese Region gehört zu den Herzkammern des Mittelstands in Baden-Württemberg“, sagte CEO Prof. Dr. Rainer Lindner in seiner Rede zur Eröffnung.
Das vollautomatisierte Hochregal ist 45 Meter lang, 23 Meter breit, 22 Meter hoch und enthält über 3.500 Kassetten. Die Bruttokapazität beträgt 15.000 Tonnen, die Lager- und Bearbeitungsmöglichkeiten wurden erweitert und die Energieeffizienz verbessert. Beliefert werden sowohl bestehende als auch neue Kunden aus verschiedenen Branchen wie Automotive, Maschinenbau, Landwirtschaft oder Medizintechnik zu bedienen.
Bei der Einweihung zu Gast waren unter anderem Susanne Irion (Bürgermeisterin der Stadt Trossingen), Thomas Albiez (Geschäftsführer der IHK Schwarzwald) und Tim Wenniges (Stv. Hauptgeschäftsführer der Unternehmer Baden-Würtemberg).
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European HRC market quiet amid summer slowdown; expectations mixed
The summer holiday season was limiting trade across the European HRC market; firm offers were rare, and sources pointed out that suppliers preferred a “case-by-case” approach.
Buyer sources estimated the workable market level to be at €600-620 ($657-679) per tonne ex-works.
Some sources suggested that €590 per tonne ex-works was achievable for larger volumes, but this could not be confirmed with suppliers.
The latest offers for September-delivery HRC were heard at €620-650 per tonne ex-works in Northern Europe, while some mills were aiming for €660 per tonne ex-works for October-delivery cargoes.
As a result, Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Northern Europe at €620.00 per tonne on Tuesday, down by €2.08 per tonne from €622.08 per tonne on Monday.
The index was down by €5.00 per tonne week on week and by €11.00 per tonne month on month.
Meanwhile, the post-summer price direction was still unclear.
On the one hand, sources suggested that the inflow of cheap imports into the EU will be limited by new safeguards, as well as looming anti-dumping investigations against certain origins; and that, along with restocking, would help European mills to achieve higher prices.
“We still expect [HRC] prices to move up from the end of August or beginning of September as buyers will buy more domestically,” a buyer in the Benelux area said.
At the same time, sources said that real consumption remains weak, and is unlikely to recover until the end of the year – a view that was echoed by European steel industry association Eurofer in its quarterly outlook published at the end of July.
“Without consumption rebound we cannot speak about any sustainable price recovery,” a second buyer said.
In Southern Europe, Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index domestic, exw Italy at €620.00 per tonne on Tuesday, unchanged from a day earlier.
The index was down by €1.25 per tonne week on week and down by €4.10 per tonne month on month.
The Italian market was silent on Tuesday. Local suppliers have started summer maintenance work and were expected to come back to the market with fresh offers at the end of August, Fastmarkets heard.
Buyer sources estimated the workable market level to be at €600-620 per tonne ex-works.
In terms of imports, sources reported an offer from one Japanese supplier at €580 per tonne CFR to Southern Europe, for October-shipment HRC.
From Turkish mills, September-October shipment HRC was offered at €570-590 per tonne CFR, including the duty.
From Vietnam, offers were reported at €560-570 per tonne CFR. For large volumes, offers were heard at €540 per tonne CFR to some regions.
Darina Kahramanova in Sofia contributed to this report.
Published by: Julia Bolotova
ArcelorMittal launches HyMatch steel for hydrogen transport
ArcelorMittal is launching a new steel product for the construction of hydrogen pipelines to support the roll-out of hydrogen gas infrastructure.
Its new steel grade to support pipe manufacturers is called HyMatch, featuring fine and homogeneous microstructure and good cleanliness, resulting in low risk of hydrogen embrittlement, Kallanish hears from the company.
It notes that research programmes for steel in hydrogen infrastructure are underway at ArcelorMittal production sites, including in France (Fos-sur-Mer), Germany (Bremen) and R&D laboratories including in Belgium (Gent). Production in Fos and Bremen offers proximity to pipe manufacturers based in the Mediterranean countries and North Sea region.
Natural gas pipelines – including existing and new infrastructure – are expected to be used in the future for the transportation of hydrogen from the production facilities to the main consumption sites. ArcelorMittal highlights that HyMatch steel fulfils the requirements of industry standards such as ASME B31.12 option B, and are being tested according to the latest industry guidelines.
HyMatch steels can be purchased alongside ArcelorMittal’s XCarb steel certificates, allowing customers to report an equivalent reduction in their Scope 3 emissions.
Christian Koehl Germany
Liberty Dunaújváros gets billion euro financing from China
China’s Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) will support the transition of Liberty Dunaújváros to convert to low-emission technology to the tune of €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion), according to media reports.
To that purpose, Sinosure has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China’s CISDI Engineering, writes the Budapest Business Journal. CISDI was earlier contracted by Liberty to carry out the modernisation of the Hungarian mill (see Kallanish 16 May). The contract includes a 1.5 million tonnes/year capacity EAF installation as well as the secondary metallurgy and hot strip mill upgrade. These will allow the business to deliver high-value products for the automotive sector in Hungary, Liberty said.
The project from an early stage had the support of the Hungarian and Chinese governments, to be funded by Chinese banks led by CITIC Bank and backed by Sinosure, but the amount was not revealed thus far.
The announcement of the MoU was made during a visit by CISDI representatives to Liberty Dunaújváros’ steelworks, according to the local news reports. The officials reportedly consulted with experts of Switzerland’s NPT and Germany’s RCG on optimising systems at the base and building ancillary support for electricity, gas, water and steam.
Christian Koehl Germany
