Zhongshou Special Steel Achieves Milestone for Arvedi ESP Line from Primetals Technologies

• All four high-reduction rolling stands implemented as part of record-setting project execution timeline
• Innovative mill stand arrangement comprising four high-reduction and five finishing mill stands
• Startup scheduled for November 2025

On May 16, 2025, Zhongshou Special Steel Group and Primetals Technologies reached a major project milestone: just 12 months after the contract kickoff, the first rolling stand for Zhongshou’s Arvedi ESP line was successfully installed at the Luanzhou site in Hebei Province. This achievement highlights the rapid progress of the project. Remarkably, within one week of the first installation, all four high-reduction mill stands were also in place.

The remaining five rolling stands will be installed next, completing the innovative configuration of four high-reduction and five finishing mill stands, the first of its kind in China. Startup is scheduled for November 2025, setting a new record for contract execution time for a project of this complexity. This installation will mark the 11th Arvedi ESP line commissioned globally, following the recent successful startup of the 10th ESP line at USS Big River in the United States. Two additional ESP projects are currently in progress.

Zhongshou’s ESP plant is poised to become the most powerful on the market, featuring an extra-long casting machine and nine rolling stands. With caster exit thicknesses starting at 130 millimeters, the line’s high-reduction capability will enable Zhongshou to achieve high productivity rates for commodity steel markets while also producing high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel for specialized applications, including the automotive sector. Coil thicknesses will range from 0.7 to 12.7 millimeters, with production fully optimized for endless mode across all thicknesses.

The Arvedi ESP technology is recognized as the only officially certified solution for carbon-neutral thin-slab casting and rolling. As the most energy-efficient process for producing endless hot rolled coil (eHRC) of high quality, it was selected by Zhongshou to support its transition from a conventional LD converter (BOF) and hot-strip mill to a production line based on an electric arc furnace (EAF) and Arvedi ESP technology. 

“We have a clear target of holding a position as front runners in green steel production both on the domestic and international markets, while also being able to compete on markets protected by carbon border adjustment (CBAM) restrictions. The Arvedi ESP technology and its record-breaking low carbon footprint will be playing a key role for us in achieving this target,” said Zhongshou Chairman Zheng Ting Wen during the contract signing ceremony held just one year ago in Vienna.

Primetals Technologies, Limited, headquartered in London, United Kingdom, is a pioneer and world leader in the fields of engineering, plant building, and the provision of lifecycle services for the metals industry. The company offers a complete technology, product, and services portfolio that includes integrated electrics and automation, digitalization, and environmental solutions. This covers every step of the iron and steel production chain—from the raw materials to the finished product—and includes the latest rolling solutions for the nonferrous metals sector. Primetals Technologies is a Group Company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, with around 7,000 employees worldwide. To learn more about Primetals Technologies, visit the company website www.primetals.com.