SSAB to start using liquefied natural gas in Raahe

SSAB is to start using liquified natural gas (LNG) in the Raahe steel mill, where it will replace the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the walking beam furnace in the strip mill and be as a support and additional fuel in the boiler in Raahe Voima’s power plant. Work on building the LNG storage facility is under way and the facility will be brought into use in 2018. 

Photo: Wärtsilä

Use of LNG will enable SSAB to replace the use of oil-based fuels and thus reduce present levels of particulate, nitrogen and sulfur oxide, and carbon dioxide emissions. LNG will replace roughly 90% of the LPG used earlier at the mill, although LPG is still required for flame cutting, for example.

Raahen Voima is currently buiding an LNG storage facility at SSAB Raahe. Two large LNG-tanks, 35 meters long and 6 metres in diameter, will arrive by road at the storage facility at the end of November.  The Raahe LNG storage facility is delivered under turnkey contract by technology group Wärtsilä.

The LNG will be transported to Raahe by tanker trucks from Manga LNG Oy’s terminal in Tornio, northern Finland. Deliveries to Raahe will start in early 2018.

Manga LNG Oy, which owns the LNG terminal in Tornio, is a joint venture by Outokumpu Oyj, SSAB, Skangas and EPV Energia Oy. SSAB has a 25% share in the terminal project. SSAB has invested around EUR 7 million in the terminal project, as well as around EUR 5 million in the LNG storage facility in Raahe.

The switch to using natural gas is part of SSAB’s strategy to make the energy system even more sustainable, more cost efficient and to spread the risk by using several different types of fuel. SSAB Borlänge swicthched over to using LNG a couple of years ago.

For more information, please contact:
Jarkko Matkala, SSAB Raahe site manager, tel. +358 40 8443 226 

SSAB is a Nordic and US-based steel company. SSAB offers value added products and services developed in close cooperation with its customers to create a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world. SSAB has employees in over 50 countries. SSAB has production facilities in Sweden, Finland and the US. SSAB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a secondary listing on Nasdaq Helsinki. www.ssab.com.
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