(Photo: EVRAZ)
EVRAZ North America announced that it will make a $200 million investment at its Regina facility.
This investment will secure our position as the highest quality, lowest cost integrated producer of large diameter pipe in North America, said Conrad Winkler, EVRAZ North America President and CEO. We greatly appreciate the Government of Saskatchewan’s role in working with us on issues facing primary steel production. It also allows EVRAZ to provide stability and long-term viability for more than 1,000 employees at the Regina mill as we continue to meet increasingly stringent industry standards and supply our customers with 100 per cent Made in Canada pipe.
Over the next two years, EVRAZ will invest in the installation of a new two-step large diameter line pipe mill. This new addition will enable the production of larger, thicker-wall pipe and increase annual production capacity by over 100,000 tons.
EVRAZ is also making state-of-the-art upgrades in steelmaking including degassing and the ability to make larger steel slab sizes.
Additionally, the power and size of its rolling mill will be increased to make thicker, wider steel coils.
EVRAZ and Enbridge also announced that the two companies will partner on a joint research and development program to enhance pipeline performance. Along with industry and academic institutions, EVRAZ and Enbridge will help drive continuous improvement with the ultimate aim of optimizing industry-wide safety and reliability.
“EVRAZ has the largest pipe Research and Development Centre in North America and it has played an important role in Canadian steel advances since 1982,” Winkler said. “Now we will combine our experience with that of Enbridge to further augment the performance of large diameter pipe.”
The pipe we put in the ground is at the heart of our business. Over the next three years, we’ll build more than $22 billion of pipelines to open new markets for Canadian producers – that requires certainty of the highest quality steel, available when it’s needed, said Al Monaco, President and CEO, Enbridge Inc.
Large diameter line pipe is integral to oil and natural gas distribution, and EVRAZ has produced more than 51,000 kilometres (32,000 miles) of project pipe from millions of tons of recycled metal over its 59 years in Regina. The Regina site and its employees currently contribute about $30 million per year to the federal and provincial economy in direct taxes. EVRAZ also creates another $600 million per year in economic benefit through the purchase of raw materials, goods and services.
SOURCE EVRAZ
