SteelUp! – Phase two underway

Several installations are undergoing transformation to achieve ArcelorMittal Long Products Luxembourg’s ambitious goals - relocating the production of semi-finished products used in Rodange in Luxembourg, reducing carbon emissions and increasing productivity.

A "Brownfield" project

SteelUp! is a "brownfield" project, which meansit is not a new construction on a vacant site but rather a modernisation integrated into an existing industrial environment. This requires meticulous management to ensure work progresses on schedule while minimising disruptions to ongoing production.
To tackle this challenge, the project team, led by Michael Szefer, Head of SteelUp! project, has demonstrated ingenuity. Every production shutdown—whether annual or weekly—is used to advance the work. Likewise, inactive areas are strategically utilised to install elements of the future furnace. This strategy relies on close collaboration with production teams, whose priority remains maintaining optimal operations.

Modernisation of the electric furnace

Expansion of scrap bucket entry doors: larger scrap buckets will allow the furnace to be filled in a single operation, increasing the steel melting capacity per cycle.
Monomelting – larger charging capacity: this upgrade requires reinforced foundations to support the new furnace (made in January 2024) and larger scrap baskets. The improvements will enhance energy efficiency, performance and productivity.
Addition of a 100-tonne platform covering an area of 150m²
Hot briquetted iron (HBI) supply system: A silo has been installed near the scrap yard to store and distribute HBI, a key material for producing Rodange’s semi-finished products. This allows for the development of new metallurgical grades previously possible only via blast furnace processes.

Vacuum degassing

This area is advancing the fastest, as it interferes less with production compared to other project components. The vacuum degasser is a completely new facility within the steel mill and is expected to be operational before the end of the first half of 2025.

Continuous casting adaptation

The cast profiles will be larger and heavier, but the current casting system is not designed to support these dimensions. Strengthening of the continuous casting foundations and the cooling bed was completed during the latest planned shutdown.

A cutting-edge, ergonomic control room

In early February 2025, the Belval steel mill received one of the project’s key components - its future control room. Until now, teams were spread across the plant, with each group stationed near the installations they supervised. With the modernisation of the mill and the introduction of remote-operated robots, this working method is being revolutionised.
Now, all production teams will be centralised in a single space, enhancing both collaboration and safety through the "No Man On The Floor" principle (ensuring no personnel remain on the production floor).

This new environment offers several benefits:

• Optimised collaboration: Instant communication between operators.
• Enhanced safety: Many tasks previously performed manually near the furnace will now be handled remotely by robots in a secure environment.
  Designed in collaboration with ergonomists and operational teams, the control room and workstations are tailored to operators’ technical needs while improving comfort in a traditionally demanding work environment.

Gamification of workstations
Future workstations will incorporate gamification-inspired features to meet the expectations of newer generations. However, long-time employees need not worry—each station will be adjustable, allowing operators to choose their preferred work mode.

The project is nearing completion, with new workstation installations set to be fully operational by the end of 2025. A commissioning phase will follow, during which teams will familiarise themselves with the new systems and make final technical adjustments. Moreover, the development of high-value-added steel grades for demanding products like railway rails will continue over time. Very few steel plants worldwide can produce such products using recycled steel!

As the largest industrial investment in the past 30 years, SteelUp! showcases how effective collaboration between project and operational teams drives innovation and success—without disrupting the plant’s ongoing activities.