en.Wedoany.com Reported - Primetals Technologies, a UK-based company, has secured a contract to supply a 180-ton dual-station ladle furnace for the Outokumpu Stainless USA plant in Calvert, Alabama.

A third-party verification statement previously published on Outokumpu's website indicates that this stainless steel plant is one of three melting shops, with over 95% recycled content used in its production.

Primetals stated that the newly ordered equipment will replace the existing ladle treatment station installed in 2012. The equipment and technology supplier noted that this upgrade can reduce the plant's carbon footprint, improve temperature control, and enhance operational flexibility.

According to Primetals, the Outokumpu Calvert plant melts up to 100% stainless steel scrap in electric arc furnaces (EAF), after which the newly prepared metal enters the argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) converter. Upgrading one of the two ladle treatment stations to a dual-station ladle furnace will add electric heating capacity after the converter, thereby increasing the flexibility of the AOD process.

Primetals expects the installation to be completed by March 2028 and will utilize the plant's existing layout and foundations to ensure smooth integration. The equipment supply scope includes water-cooled ladle covers, electrode arms, automatic argon blowing devices, hydraulic systems, the Melt Expert electrode control system, and energy and automation functions. Primetals stated that its Melt Expert system enables dynamic control of the melting process, improves process stability, and reduces energy consumption.

Primetals Technologies has a long-standing partnership with Outokumpu Stainless USA, having designed and supplied the existing stainless steel smelter, which received final acceptance in 2013. Primetals, now a portfolio company of Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, provides engineering, plant construction, and lifecycle services for the metallurgical industry, with approximately 7,000 employees worldwide.