OREANDA-NEWS. More than 200 mln. rubles are to be invested into a large-scale project to upgrade the equipment at plate-rolling facility No.3 of Cherepovets Steel Mill, a major global integrated steelmaker, which is part of Severstal Russian Steel Division.

Under the project, two units will be upgraded, namely, a Sever-6 type ultrasonic testing (UST) unit and a controlled cooling unit (CCU) for Mill 5000. The new equipment will improve the quality of heavy plates intended for pipe production at Severstal’s Izhora Pipe Mill in Kolpino near Saint Petersburg. The production will be supplied to South Stream and Power of Siberia, Russia's two major oil and gas projects.

The UST unit for mill 5000 has been put into service to improve heavy plate quality control. The equipment has been supplied by Ultracraft LLC. The equipment installation team included the experienced personnel from the Kolpino-based branch of Severstal Promservis LLC, an asset of Severstal Russian Steel Division. The installation was carried out under the supervision of the vendor’s representatives. The whole scope of work was completed within the springtime repair program.

“In contrast to the older unit, the new one is capable of checking plates for near-edge and surface defects. In the long term, this will enable us to promptly certify plates for shipments to major oil and gas projects,” — commented Andrei Lutsenko, Operations Officer and Chief Engineer at Severstal Russian Steel.

It is planned that the CCU upgrade will continue throughout 2013 as part of routine preventive maintenance and autumn overhaul repairs.