Posted on 01 Aug 2019
State Company for Iron & Steel (SCIS) has begun construction of a new rebar mill as part of the Iraqi steelmaker’s rehabilitation after over a decade of idled production. This is according to the country’s industry and minerals ministry.
According to the Arab & Iron Steel Union (AISU), the rolling mill will have a 600,000 tonnes/year of rebar capacity, with commissioning scheduled in 2020.
Located on the southern outskirts of Basra, SCIS has been idled since 2003. Iraq has contracted Turkey’s United Brothers (UB) Holding to revamp the steelworks. In early 2018 UB Holding ordered from Danieli an electric arc furnace mini-mill for SCIS that will produce up to 500,000 t/y of 150mm square billet, with commissioning scheduled by end-2019 (see Kallanish passim).
According to the initial revamp plan, the first phase comprised the installation of a 500,000 t/y billet plant and 820,000 t/y rebar mill. Thereafter melting capacity was to be doubled to over 1 million t/y and square billet output expanded with an additional caster. In the final stage a new 1.2m t/y capacity direct reduced iron unit was to be constructed.
UB could not be reached for comment before deadline.
Separately, SCIS has called on government ministries and oil companies to procure from it 16-48mm diameter welded pipe for pipeline projects. The firm’s pipe mill, sourced from Germany, has remained operational while production at other units was idled.
