2.0 - mtpy integrated minimill for long products for AQS-Algerian Qatari Steel

It is a project that will complete the panorama of reference plants Danieli has developed in north Africa, and establishes Danieli in the Algerian market, where significant development is expected to develop in the next 10 years. Also, this contract constitutes a successful model for the way that Danieli has been able to respond promptly to the complexity of the customer’s demands, thus showing its professionalism and pragmatism.

This goal has been reached after 30 years of contacts and different project  configurations. Now, the order is in progress, with hundreds of people working on it to achieve the ambitious targets. The plant will act as a catalyst for economic development in the area and will contribute significantly to free Algeria from its dependence on imports. It will be the largest and most modern plant of that country, with a high degree of automation, state-of-the-art technology and very low environmental impact: not only emissions will be very low (according to European standards), but its design and appearance will be planned to integrate appropriately into the setting.

At the moment the area can be reached through a two-lane road and a railway line, which is expected to be doubled in a medium term. The port of Djen-Djen, near Jijel, will be widened in parallel with the construction of the iron oxide receiving plant. By 2016 the electric network will be extended and the generation plants will be connected to the site, in order to supply the necessary power to the plant. Also, the natural gas (methane) pipeline will be connected to the Bellara site. Today, Algeria’s imports of finished products are in the order of 4 Mtpy, therefore Bellara production is most likely intended to meet the domestic market’s demand. On the other hand, it must be said that considering the extremely low unit cost of gas and electric power, the costs of processing will be so moderate that AQS will be able to compete even on the international markets.

The Art of Fusion with the Environment

The aesthetic quality of the landscape, its topography and seasonal changes, together with the presence of green areas and the views of the plant structures from several point of views and from different heights, are the details upon which the Algerian AQS project has been developed. The use of color, suggested by the site’s natural surroundings, enables this world-class architectural project to subtly become one with the environment. The architectural choice of colors has been based on the landscape, too. The sequence of the different gradations of the landscape through the different seasons has suggested a pattern of natural colors for the exterior panels.