A new research project led by the Finnish University of Oulu and steelmaker SSAB will look to tackle the challenge of combining electric arc furnace technology with modernised hot rolling processes.
The solutions will support the transformation of Finland’s steel industry and its transition to low-carbon emissions steel production at the Raahe steelworks, Kallanish hears from the university.
The Future Sustainable Electric Steel Mill, known as FutSteel, research project has been selected as part of the Sustainable World Through Steels Flagship Programme, which will expand research and development activities in Finland, the university says. The budget of the FutSteel project is €17 million ($19m).
The project is starting this month and will run for three years. It will examine how production systems can be redesigned without compromising quality or delivery capability. “This is essential to ensure that high-quality steel production remains in Finland,” says Petri Sulasalmi, project manager of FutSteel at the university.
The project investigates how electric steelmaking can be combined with modernised rolling processes while utilising fossil-free energy solutions. The research focuses particularly on steel quality and on how new processes can be adapted to demanding high-strength steel production.
Besides SSAB, other steelmaker partners in the project include Ovako, plus other companies such as Hycamite, Otanmäki Mine, Strategic Resources, Titanor, Carbo Culture, Convion and Nordkalk.
