Outo Kumpu Enhances high-Value added Strategy for Stainless Steel Business

Outo Kump, Finish major stainless steel maker, will build up high-value added strategy. The firm will decrease selling the hot rolled steel coil to outside consumer, and expand to flow to oneself downstream for such as cold rolling process. The firm started the operation of new line for such as blight annealing furnace in Kloster plant in Sweden, and will renew annealing and pickling line in Tornio plant in Finland. Moreover, the firm aims to enhance competitive power by the improvement of product mix such as full-production of chrome series cold rolled stainless steel products. Mr. Niro, the firm’s executive vice-president, showed the firm’s strategy to Japan metal Bulletin’s reporter in International Stainless Steel Forum in Kyoto on Sunday. The firm introduced new cluster mill and bright annealing furnace in Kloster plant which is steel sheet re-rolling plant by the investment of 55 million Euro, and will increase production special thin steel sheet products by 27,000-48,000 tonnes.In Tornio plant, the firm started the operation of batch type annealing furnace in April, and started the production of chrome series cold rolled stainless sheet at 60,000 tonnes per year. Additionally, the firm will invest 150 million Euro, which renew no.2 annealing furnace and pickling line, and which start the operation in the end of 2008. New production line produces nickel series and chrome series products, which expand cold rolling capacity by 75,000 tonnes per year. The firm will enhance cold rolling mill by the introduction of such as surface polish machine in Nyby plant in Sweden, and increase the production of special steel sheet. The firm will construct service center in Poland. He expects the firm’s production would be 2.3 million tonnes for stainless crude steel and the firm’s shipment would be 1.815 million tonnes in 2007 in same level from 2006, and major plant, Tornio plant’s production would be 1.35 million tonnes for stainless crude steel and 1 million tonnes for steel products in same level in 2006 when was highest.