20
ArcelorMittal South Africa
Annual Report 2008
Operational review
and locations
Division
Vanderbijlpark Works
is the largest inland steel mill in sub-
Saharan Africa, with two Blast Furnaces,
three electric arc furnaces and three
basic oxygen furnaces. It has a capacity
of 4.4 million tonnes of liquid steel
per annum, which is converted into
a range of steel sheeting and plates.
This output constitutes around 82%
of the company’s flat steel production.
Vanderbijlpark Works employs
4 723 people.
Flat steel products
ArcelorMittal South Africa produces flat
steel products at its Vanderbijlpark and
Saldanha operations. Vanderbijlpark is
the largest supplier of flat steel products
in sub-Saharan Africa.
Saldanha Works
has a capacity of 1.2 million tonnes of liquid
steel per annum, most of which is destined
for the export market. It also produces high
quality ultra thin hot rolled coil. It is the only
steel mill in the world to have successfully
combined the Corex and Midrex process
into a continuous chain. This replaces the
need for coke ovens and Blast Furnaces,
and contributes to making Saldanha Works
a world leader in emission control and
environmental management. It employs
557 people.
Long steel products
The long steel products division produces
a range of long steel products at the
integrated steel works at Newcastle and
the electric arc furnace-based facility at
Vereeniging Works. These products include
bar, billets, blooms, hot-finished and cold-
draw seamless tubes, window and fencing
profiles, rod and light, medium and heavy
sections.
Vereeniging Works
which employs around 954 people, is
South Africa’s major supplier of speciality
steel products, seamless tube and forge
products. At full capacity it delivers
around 0.4 million tonnes of final product
per annum, of which around 18% was
exported last year.
Newcastle Works
is rated among the world’s lowest billet
cash-cost producers, after an intensive
re-engineering programme. With one
Blast Furnace, three basic oxygen furnaces
and four rolling mills, this operation has a
capacity of 1.8 million tonnes of liquid
steel annually. Products include low,
medium and high carbon steels, alloy steels,
bar, structural sections and rails. Over
1 950 people work at Newcastle.
Coke and Chemicals
Coke and Chemicals’ core business is the
production of market coke for the ferro-
alloy industry from coke batteries located in
Pretoria, Newcastle and Vanderbijlpark.
The business also processes and
beneficiates metallurgical and steel
by-products, including coal tar pitch.
The Coke and Chemicals
operation comprises three coke batteries
in Newcastle, Vanderbijlpark and Pretoria.
They produce commercial coke for the
ferro-alloy industry, supplying more than
half of South Africa’s requirements. In
addition, Coke and Chemicals produces
metallurgical by-products, including coal
tar pitch.
