Lech Stahlwerke (LSW), a long products mill of Germany’s Max Aicher group, has received permission to bring up its nominal crude steel production by approximately one third to 1.3 million tonnes/year.
The maker of rebar as well as special bar grade was until now legally limited to 1m t/y. It repeatedly achieved higher tonnages in recent years, but for each year needed special permission from the local authorities. Technically, the mill over time has gained the capacity to make up to 1.4m t/y, as it shortened standstill times and melting intervals at its electric arc furnace.
In order to obtain permission for permanent higher production “we have invested massively in environmental protection, and will continue to do so,” spokeswoman Angela Aicher tells Kallanish. The decision provides a legal basis for future investments in the mill, she adds.
The group last year launched its initiative “LOCAS”- Low Carbon Steel from Bavaria, promoting its ambition for environmentally sound production. Based in Meitingen near Augsburg, LSW is the only steel mill with a liquid phase in Bavaria. Also located further southwest in the state is Annahütte, a rolling and drawing mill for special long products, also owned by Max Aicher.
Christian Koehl Germany
