KCI Konecranes has finalised a $37m contract with Russian steelmaker OAO Magnitogorsk Metallurgicheski Kombinat (MMK) for the supply of 26 cranes to its plant in Magnitogorsk, Southern Ural, Russia. Deliveries are due to start in January 2005 until March 2006.
MMK is Russia’s largest steel-making enterprise. The cranes are part of a complete overhaul of its production technology that will see rolled steel production capacity increase from two million tonnes a year to twelve million tonnes in three fully automated mills.
MMK announced in September that it had chosen KCI Konecranes as preferred supplier but it took until the end of December to finalise the deal.
‘This is the largest single steel mill crane order in KCI Konecranes’ history,’ says Seppo Hoppu, KCI Konecranes’ director of cranes and services for North East Europe. ‘Other competitors bidding for this order were local crane manufacturers. The Russian steel industry is investing into new technology and KCI Konecranes’ experience of modern steel mill applications combined with local maintenance back up are factors that work in our favour.
‘Receiving a financing guarantee from Finnvera, a specialised financing company owned by the Finnish State, also played a major role.’
The new cranes include seven EOT cranes for the profile rolling mill, nine magnet cranes for the profile warehouse, 10 cranes for the steel mill including two heavy-duty ladle cranes, four charging cranes, two slab handling cranes and two billet handling cranes. All cranes feature KCI Konecranes’ AC drive systems with variable frequency controls.
The order also includes an agreement on providing maintenance services for the cranes.
