Besteel honours Primetals for rapid commissioning following a fire

The project was completed in 44 days after a fire broke out in the drive room of the South Korean bar mill.

In May 2022, a fire broke out in the drive room of SeAH Besteel’s large bar mill in Gunsan, South Korea. The entire drive system was damaged, and urgent restoration of the entire system was required so that the plant could resume operations. SeAH Besteel approached Primetals Technologies and requested the necessary support to get the plant back up and running within 44 days.
The project posed a major challenge as the supply chain was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the schedule was extremely tight – similar projects typically take around a year to complete. However, thanks to a continuous flow of communication and the use of its global organisation, Primetals Technologies was able to meet the deadline and commission the plant within the specified timeframe. For this exceptional achievement, Primetals Technologies was recently honoured by SeAH Besteel with an award of recognition, which underlines the close partnership between the two companies.
The fire broke out when a spark generated during production ignited leaking fluid from the lubrication system of the large bar mill. The fire spread to cable trays and eventually reached the electrical and automation room. Almost all the equipment in this room was severely damaged by the fire.
Primetals Technologies was entrusted with the restoration project and carried out the engineering, procurement and manufacture of selected specialist components simultaneously. In addition, on-site activities such as installation, implementation and fine-tuning of the system were also carried out in parallel.

Leading manufacturer of special steel grades
The intensive restoration project was completed on schedule, with SeAH Basteel and Primetals Technologies recommissioning the plant on 4 June 2022. The scope of supply included the complete electrical and automation systems for the large-section mill, as well as the engineering and implementation. Founded in 1955, SeAH Basteel is South Korea’s leading manufacturer of special steel grades. The steel producer supplies the automotive, industrial and energy sectors. In total, the company produces around two million tonnes of steel annually.
Source: Primetals