Duferco and SMS signed the supply contract for a new plant

SMS Group will realize the new beam rolling mill for Duferco steel division in San Zeno Naviglio (Brescia, Northern Italy). The supply contract for the new plant, which will crown a 25-year-old industrial dream, was signed today by Antonio Gozzi, president of Duferco Italia Holding and Franco Monteferrario; Thomas Massmann, executive vice president SMS GmbH and Marco Asquini, CEO of SMS Group.

The commitment is to realize it in less than two years and quickly ramp it up, taking advantage of the SMS team’s deep technological know-how and the expertise in the production of steel rolled products of Duferco steel division’s technical staff’s.

The new rolling beam, integrated with the steel plant, will endow Duferco, the sole national producer of steel beams, of a very efficient system at the heart of the European and Italian market. The mill will be realized with cutting edge technologies, focusing on digitization, artificial intelligence and automation both for production and logistics.

The total investment, facility and infrastructure included, will amount to 180 million Euro and, when fully operating, will create 150 job positions, not including those related to ancillary industries. The whole rolling mill capacity of the Group will reach 1.5 million tons of long products.

The goal is to maximize the customer service standard and the overall process efficiency and become the European best cost producer. The commitment is also to create a more sustainable factory, with the possible lowest environmental impact and the highest safety standard.

Indeed, the whole power supply of the new rolling mill will be covered by renewable energy thanks to the first green PPA signed by a steel company in Italy. This will allow to build the first steel plant fully powered by green energy.

The walking beam furnace will be supplied by the Italian company Forni Industriali Bendotti and will be equipped with innovative hydrogen fuel injected burners, further contributing to decarbonize the production process.

«The new beam rolling mill in San Zeno Naviglio will greatly increase our competitiveness. This will be the strong base for a long-term strategy that will combine environmental, social and economic sustainability through technological innovation, maximizing the market opportunities», said Augusto Gozzi, Duferco member of the board.

Source and photo: Duferco