SSC Vogten Staal carries out major expansion
Dutch steel service centre Vogten Staal is ramping up processing lines at its new warehouse, with further investments planned.
For the expansion of its location in Maastricht, the company bought in 2021 a new lot spanning 57,000m2, on which it built a warehouse of 38,000m2. Some months ago, two new slitting lines were installed and are expected to reach full capability by the end of this year, managing director Jack Papen tells Kallanish. The lines were supplied by Italian company Novastilmec, which specialises in strip cutting equipment.
The new building will also receive a pickling line for strip up to 20mm. When all new lines are installed, the annual throughput capacity of both facilities will be well over 1 million tonnes/year. It will have three cut-to-length lines (1.85-26mm), two push-pull pickling lines (1.85-20mm), a slitting line (1.5-12mm) and four shears (up to 15mm).
The company previously lifted output at its original warehouse from 2018 to 2024 by 60%, as it expanded the operation time to three shifts for cutting and pickling lines, and an extended shift for the slitting line.
The firm process almost solely hot rolled coil, and specialises in higher thickness gauges up to 20mm.
Blastr inks Vogten Staal deal for low-carbon steel supply
Blastr Green Steel has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vogten Staal, a European steel service center, for the annual supply of its low-carbon steel, the Norwegian company stated on April 7.
The agreement with Vogten will enable Blastr’s low-carbon steel to reach more sustainable metal users and grant access to Vogten’s steel refinement services, including hot-rolled material pickling. The two companies did not disclose the volumes of the agreement.
Vogten’s production lines are located in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The company recently invested in a second production facility. When all new lines are installed, the annual production capacity of both facilities will be over 1 million mt, divided over three cut-to-length lines, two push-pull pickling lines, a slitting line and four shears.
Blastr is planning a direct-reduced iron, or DRI-EAF steel plant with an integrated green hydrogen production facility to produce 2.5 million mt of low-carbon steel in Inkoo, Finland. It is currently looking for the DRI location and exploring building it in the UK, a spokesperson told Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, on Feb. 3.
“The collaboration between Blastr and Vogten Staal reflects strong growth in demand for high-quality decarbonized steel in European markets,” Mark Bula, CEO of Blastr said.
“We are proud to partner with one of Europe’s leading steel service centers, which shares our commitment to mitigating climate change by making green steel available to a growing pool of customers,” Bula added.
This is the third offtake low-carbon supply agreement announced by Blastr in less than four months.
Platts assessed Northwest European hot-rolled coil carbon-accounted stable at Eur710/mt ex-works Ruhr on April 4.
