Zhongshou Special Steel achieves Milestone for Arvedi ESP Line

One year after signing the contract, China's Zhongshou Special Steel Group and Primetals have installed the first rolling stand of the Arvedi ESP plant at the Zhongshou site in Luanzhou in the Chinese province of Hebei. The next step will be to install the remaining five rolling stands to complete the configuration with four high-reduction and five finishing mill stands at the Zhongshou site in Luanzhou in the Chinese province of Hebei – a first in China, according to plant manufacturer Primetals.

The remaining five rolling stands will be installed next, completing the innovative configuration of four high-reduction and five finishing mill stands, the first of its kind in China. Startup is scheduled for November 2025, setting a new record for contract execution time for a project of this complexity. This installation will mark the 11th Arvedi ESP line commissioned globally, following the recent successful startup of the 10th ESP line at USS Big River in the United States. Two additional ESP projects are currently in progress.
According to Primetals, Zhongshou’s ESP plant is poised to become the most powerful on the market, featuring an extra-long casting machine and nine rolling stands. With caster exit thicknesses starting at 130 millimeters, the line’s high-reduction capability will enable Zhongshou to achieve high productivity rates for commodity steel markets while also producing high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel for specialized applications, including the automotive sector. Coil thicknesses will range from 0.7 to 12.7 millimeters, with production fully optimized for endless mode across all thicknesses.

Endless Hot-Rolled Coil of High Quality

According to Primetals, the Arvedi ESP technology is recognized as the only officially certified solution for carbon-neutral thin-slab casting and rolling. As the most energy-efficient process for producing endless hot rolled coil (eHRC) of high quality, it was selected by Zhongshou to support its transition from a conventional LD converter (BOF) and hot-strip mill to a production line based on an electric arc furnace (EAF) and Arvedi ESP technology, Primetals said.
“We have a clear target of holding a position as front runners in green steel production both on the domestic and international markets, while also being able to compete on markets protected by carbon border adjustment (CBAM) restrictions. The Arvedi ESP technology and its record-breaking low carbon footprint will be playing a key role for us in achieving this target,” said Zhongshou Chairman Zheng Ting Wen during the contract signing ceremony held one year ago in Vienna.
Source: Primetals Technologies