The damage reports along the Ruhr, which came out of its bed after heavy rains on 15 July, so far have mainly concerned disruptions to transportways like rail, roads and rivers. Production plants have been hit, too, though only individually, but in some cases considerably.
One mill group operates two consignation storehouses for coils in Hagen, which both have been flooded, “and one is still not accessible,” a spokesman tells Kallanish. While the dimension of the damage cannot be assessed yet, he suggests that it might not be all that bad.
“Lawyers might advise to scrap all coils that show damage. But then, all of them are oiled, and damage seen on the exterior may not have creeped in further, so that slitting off the edges might keep them workable,” he says. Ironically, they may then have the width produced by thyssenkrupp Hohenlimburg, the one mill specialising in medium-wide strip – located in Hagen, and likely affected to a high degree.
It cannot be assessed yet if this trick is all that easy, the spokesman says. Slitters need some space to be able to impose the pressure it takes to cut through 3 mm or more, so more edge may have to be cut off than is actually harmed.
Christian Koehl Germany
