Aperam has completed a major upgrade of its stainless steel meltshop in Genk, Belgium, improving operational reliability, flexibility and environmental performance. The project, delivered by Primetals Technologies, included the revamp of an existing 130-ton AOD converter and the installation of a second 130-ton AOD unit.
The addition of the new converter increases production flexibility, enables shorter and optimized treatment times, and supports the development of advanced stainless steel grades. It also allows the use of more cost-efficient raw materials, helping to reduce production costs. Both converters were equipped with automated suspension and vibration-reduction systems, enhancing operator safety, cutting vessel exchange times to under one hour, and improving overall plant availability.
The new AOD converter incorporates waste-heat-recovery-ready technology, capturing thermal energy from off-gas cooling for potential future use in applications such as power generation or district heating. Together with upgraded primary and secondary dedusting systems, the meltshop now meets the latest emissions and efficiency standards.
The project also included comprehensive automation, covering basic and process automation as well as condition monitoring, to strengthen process control and equipment reliability.
Aperam is a global producer of stainless, electrical, alloy and specialty steels, with activities spanning recycling and renewables and customers in more than 40 countries. The group operates 2.5 mln tons of flat stainless and electrical steel capacity across Europe and Brazil, with major production sites in Belgium and France, and additional operations in France, China, India and the United States.
