Primetals Technologies Breaks One Record After Another at Zhongshou Arvedi ESP Plant in China

• The most powerful Arvedi ESP Plant commissioned to date
• Superfast startup breaks all records for 1.0-, 0.8-, and 0.7-millimeter gauges
• World-record productivity of 7 tons per minute with a 1,250-millimeter-wide strip

The latest endless casting and rolling Arvedi ESP line commissioned in China by Primetals Technologies a few months ago is already surpassing all productivity and production ramp-up records set by any other thin-slab casting and rolling plant in the world for hot-rolled coil production.

Starting with the first coil produced on May 13, 2026, the plant has already reached the following milestones during the commissioning phase:

• In just 16 days after the first coil, the line was already producing 1.0-millimeter ultra-thin hot-rolled coils.

• In just 30 days after the first coil, the plant broke all world productivity records, reaching a productivity of 7 tons per minute with a 1,250-millimeter-wide strip.
• The first 0.8-millimeter-thick coil was produced just 11 weeks after startup.
• The first 0.7-millimeter-thick coil was produced just 17 weeks after startup.

Since the second sequence—immediately after startup—the plant has been operating in full endless mode, producing prime-quality endless hot-rolled coils (eHRC).

Arvedi ESP: A Benchmark Technology

The plant’s productivity, already consolidated and measured by its specific mass flow—tons per hour per meter of coil width—is approximately 20 percent higher than that achieved by any other thin-slab casting and rolling plant in the world. This confirms Arvedi ESP as a benchmark technology.

This unprecedented value has been achieved thanks to Primetals Technologies’ patented anti-bulging bender and the latest developments in ESP caster technology, including a remarkable 34-meter caster containment length. The caster now feeds the mill in endless mode with a 135-millimeter-thick strand, delivering an ultra-high mass flow and a superior thermal profile ideal for the subsequent endless rolling process.

The Most Powerful Arvedi ESP Plant

With its 135-mm-thick caster, four roughing stands, and five finishing stands, the Zhongshou plant represents the most powerful and productive Arvedi ESP line installed to date in China.

Zhongshou and Primetals Technologies will continue to work closely to fine-tune the production line, further accelerating production ramp-up and improving efficiency, with the goal of mass-producing high-end products.

Arvedi ESP technology, with zero CO₂ emissions when powered by renewable energy, is recognized as the only officially certified solution for carbon-neutral thin-slab casting and rolling. It is also the most energy-efficient process for producing high-quality eHRC.

Endless Hot-Rolled Coils (eHRC) – A Game Changer

The superior quality and cost-effectiveness of eHRC produced with Arvedi ESP are proving to be a game changer for the Chinese market. The process enables the continuous production of high-quality hot-rolled coils ranging from ultra-thin gauges to heavy gauges of up to one inch. Lower production costs, reduced energy consumption, and the ability to produce thin gauges at or below 1 mm can also create commercial advantages for both producers and end customers.

eHRC is used in conventional applications as well as in high-end specialty steel applications, such as automotive sheets for direct use without cold rolling.

Key Facts: Arvedi ESP at Zhongshou Special Steel, China

• 135-millimeter-thick caster, four roughing stands and five finishing stands, all designed for a minimum gauge of 0.7 millimeters, even with a strand of this thickness
• Designed for a wide range of steel grades, from low-carbon to high-strength low-alloy steels