According to SteelOrbis, Wuhan Iron and Steel Co. (WISCO), a subsidiary of the steel giant Baowu Group, has awarded a contract to Primetals Technologies, a UK-based engineering and equipment manufacturer, to convert its CSP casting and rolling line into a conventional hot strip mill (HSM) with a production capacity of 4.2 million tons per year.
Within the framework of this 21-month project, the existing thin slab line, which was commissioned in 2008, will be equipped with two walking beam furnaces, a high-capacity reversible roughing mill, heavy edgers, a crop shear, and descaling units. Additionally, the finishing mill, laminar cooling system, and downcoiler will be upgraded.
The revamped mill will be capable of processing slabs with a thickness of 230 mm and producing high-value-added products, including advanced high-strength steels, high-carbon steels, microalloyed pipe-grade steels, and electrical steels. This move will result in nearly doubling the capacity of the current facility.
Primetals will provide engineering services, key technological equipment, and complete Level 1 and Level 2 automation systems, including solutions for strip geometry control, ski detection, and condition monitoring.
This project marks the second instance of Primetals converting a CSP facility into a conventional hot strip mill; the first similar modernization project was completed in 2025 at the Bruckhausen plant of thyssenkrupp Steel in Germany.