Van Merksteijn, Badische Stahlwerke to merge

The Netherland’s Van Merksteijn and Germany’s Badische Stahlwerke, part of Südwest Beteiligungen (SWB), plan to merge their reinforcing steel businesses in 2025, the companies have informed customers in a joint letter seen by Kallanish.

The proposed merger is currently under review by competition and market authorities. As soon as Van Merksteijn and SWB receive approval, the parties intend to establish a joint holding company in spring – Reinforcing Steel Europe B.V – headquartered in Almelo, the Netherlands.

“In recent years, the reinforcing steel sector has faced numerous challenges: the Covid-19 pandemic, changing environmental legislation, limited availability of raw materials and unpredictable energy prices,” the companies note. “However, challenges also offer new opportunities and we have taken advantage of these to position our company even better for the future. The planned merger will strengthen our position as a major producer and processor of reinforcing steel in the EU.”

The firms’ geographically diversified presence will allow them to be even closer to customers across Europe, they add.

“For Van Merksteijn, it means that we will be assured of sustainably produced wire rod for our processing plants,” the message says. “In turn, Südwest Beteiligungen will be able to better exploit the capacity of their steel mills in Kehl and Trier. We are convinced that this proposed merger will lay the foundation for a strong and lasting partnership, and we confidently look forward to a successful future together.”

Van Merksteijn is a major wire rod processor in the reinforcing steel sector in Europe. The group has three additional production sites in Belgium (Intersig) and France (Intersig France and VMI Atlantic). The family-owned company, with about 725 employees, generated a turnover of €620 million ($638.5m) in 2023.

Südwest Beteiligungen GmbH produces, processes and distributes reinforcing steel and reinforcement products for the construction industry in Europe. With around 1,800 employees, it generated sales of around €1.2 billion in 2023. It includes Badische Stahlwerke (BSW) in Kehl and Moselstahlwerk (MSW) in Trier. BSW is one of the most modern electrical steel plants in Germany.

Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria

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Badische Stahlwerke tests flexible use of hydrogen in EAFs

Badische Stahlwerke (BSW) has launched a research project on the development of a new burner technology in electric arc furnace mills, Kallanish hears from the German rebar maker.

The burners used today for heating of the ladles are not enabled for operation with hydrogen, BSW explains. Those developed and tested in the project will be working on hydrogen, or, alternatively, ammonia. The system will be able to flexibly mix hydrogen and ammonia with natural gas, which will be used as a bridge agent until sufficient hydrogen or ammonia are available.

Project partners are associated engineering company Badische Stahl Engineering GmbH (BSE) and university RWTH Aachen. The project will run over three years, and will be subsidised by Germany’s economy and climate protection ministry to the tune of €2.3 million ($2.5m).

“The project goes beyond the reduction of CO2 emissions in ladle heating. It might be extended over the entire electric arc mill, including the meltshop,” says Sebastian Baumgartner, managing director of BSE. In that case, the technology could be marketed internationally through BSE, he notes.

BSW has set itself the target of becoming climate-neutral by 2045.

Christian Koehl Germany

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