DEW secures steel supply. Steel scrap: dhi raw material management processes valuable resource
While demand for steel is rising worldwide, the battle for scrap as a raw material is coming to a head. Deutsche Edelstahlwerke (DEW), a Swiss Steel Group company, has been supplying its customers reliably for many years. To ensure that this can continue, DEW has been working closely with its subsidiary – dhi Rohstoffmanagement GmbH – since 2012. The aim of the cooperation is to generate recycled scrap for targeted use at DEW, thus ensuring a secure supply to the steelworks.
In Europe, steel is in short supply as many companies are restocking and ramping up production following the coronavirus crisis. It is therefore all the more important that customers can rely on a reliable supply of steel products from DEW. “To ensure a sustainable supply of scrap for DEW, dhi works with regional suppliers and thus acts in a way that conserves resources more than purchases from abroad,” says Boris Weiffen, head of trading at dhi Rohstoffmanagement GmbH. DEW relies on dhi for the procurement, processing and logistics of steel scrap – and has positioned itself for the future at an early stage with regard to this sought-after resource.
Global challenges, regional solutions
Dhi Rohstoffmanagement GmbH is a joint venture of Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Services GmbH (51%) and Horn Industrial Services GmbH (49%). The company’s mission is to procure unalloyed and alloyed scrap and then process it for use in DEW’s own steelworks. In this way, dhi supports the efforts of all companies in the value chain to further reduce CO2 emissions. By building up regional networks and expertise in the preparation and composition of scrap, travel distances are minimized and the use of primary alloys is reduced. How is this possible with a volume of approximately 800,000 tons of scrap per year? The fine subdivision of the scrap into more than 100 different material groups succeeds thanks to sophisticated, digitally supported procedures such as X-ray fluorescence and spectral analysis and thanks to intensive cooperation with all parties involved. Key partners include steel processors and scrap dealers.
Dhi also takes care of the subsequent logistical processes. In this way, the desired materials are delivered just-in-time to DEW’s own plants. “Our goal is to keep improving the analysis and processing of scrap and to replace more and more primary alloys with secondary raw materials. This approach is environmentally friendly and conserves resources. Instead of sourcing raw materials from far away, DEW receives regional goods,” explains Boris Weiffen. In this way, dhi also supports DEW’s Green Steel concept and is working on continuously improving the CO2 emissions of the “Scope 3 upstream”, i.e. a reduction of the CO2 emissions of DEW’s upstream processes and products.
Figure 1: The aim of the cooperation between DEW and dhi is to generate recycled scrap for targeted use at DEW, thus ensuring a secure supply to the steelworks.
Figure 2: Dhi’s mission is to procure unalloyed and alloyed scrap and then process it for use in DEW’s own steelworks.
Figure 3: Using X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), dhi determines the elemental composition of the scrap (here: sheet).
About Deutsche Edelstahlwerke
Deutsche Edelstahlwerke is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of special steel long products. Deutsche Edelstahlwerke can look back on over 170 years of experience in the production of high-grade steel products. The range of products is unique worldwide and includes tool steels, stainless, acid and heat-resistant steels, engineering and bearing steels, and special materials. The product portfolio ranges from 4,5 mm drawn wire to forged products of up to 1,100 mm in diameter. Deutsche Edelstahlwerke customers receive the entire manufacturing chain from a single source: from production to prefabrication to heat and surface treatment. Deutsche Edelstahlwerke is a company of the Swiss Steel Group.
About Swiss Steel Group
The Swiss Steel Group is one of the world’s leading providers of individual solutions in the special long steel products sector. The Group is one of the leading manufacturers of tool steel and non-corrosive long steel on the global market and one of the two largest companies in Europe for alloyed and high-alloyed quality and engineering steels. With close to 10 000 employees and its own production and distribution companies in more than 30 countries on 5 continents, the company guarantees global support and supply for its customers and offers them a complete portfolio of production and sales & services around the world. Customers benefit from the company’s technological expertise, consistently high product quality around the world as well as detailed knowledge of local markets.
Corporate contact
Wolfgang Henstorf • Deutsche delstahlwerke
Phone: +49 (0) 271 808-2813
E-mail: wolfgang.henstorf@dew-stahl.com
Internet: www.dew-stahl.com
Dr. Andrea Geile • Swiss Steel Holding AG
Phone: +41 (0) 41 581 4121
eMail: a.geile@swisssteelgroup.com
Internet: www.swisssteel-group.com