OREANDA-NEWS. The Prime Minister visited the oxygen converter shop where steel is made for the production of rails. He was shown, in particular, the continuous casting machine for secondary steelmaking to produce the steel for 100-metre rails. 

Dmitry Medvedev attended the launch ceremony for the rail and structural steel unit

The universal rail and structural steel unit is Russia’s first manufacturing line for the production of rails from 12 to 100 metres long. The capacity of the unit, which uses the world's most advanced technologies, is up to 1.1 million tons of finished products per year. The volume of investment is about USD 715 million.

The rails produced at the unit will be more climatically reliable and durable than those produced in other countries.

The Prime Minister was shown an interactive information stand displaying the various stages of rail production: modern technologies mean that a 100m long rail can be produced in 126 seconds.

Mr Medvedev was given a tour around the shop and learned about the manufacturing process. Experts told him about the new technology and the products which will be manufactured at the new unit.

Dmitry Medvedev’s speech at the launch ceremony:

Good afternoon, friends! First of all, I’d like to congratulate you on the upcoming Steelworker's Day, your professional holiday. My colleagues and I are very pleased to be here today. Today also marks the launch of the new rail production unit. This is a nice present to both the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant and the Mechel Group, to the industry and our country as a whole. I sincerely congratulate you on both these events.

Metallurgy has always and will always play a key role in the development of our industrial capacity. Here, in the Urals, you can feel this very clearly. Our huge industrial potential was formed in the past century with the help of steel workers. During the Great Patriotic War, the weapon of victory was literally forged here. In fact, the plant was established during that time. As for today, metallurgy is one of the most rapidly developing industries, the best proof of which is the demand for our products on the global market. Of course, the behaviour of the global market changes, and we all want higher prices, but development cannot be stopped and we all will contribute to it.

I am confident that your labour and the labour of your colleagues is extremely important for the improvement of our industrial potential. Therefore, at the beginning of the ceremony I’d like to say that the most important thing at any plant is the people and their professional skills. Your plant is no exception, of course, because highly skilled people work here.

I’d like to congratulate you again on the upcoming holiday and especially those people who received state awards, high state appraisals. I wish you health and prosperity. Let’s get to the award ceremony.