Questions for steel industry planners
Steel is generally thought of as a capital intensive industry. Here are some questions then for your strategic planning department … [which should be working hard to maximise return on capital employed].
- Which type of zinc galvanising line is preferred nowadays, and why?
- What the main technological alternative to tandem mill cold rolling?
- What causes per-tonne plate mill costs to vary up to 5-fold?
- Why do heavy section and rail rolling mills vary by up to 2½ -fold in capital cost per tonne terms?
- Is there a significant capital cost difference between coal-fired and natural gas based DRI plants?
- What is the main determinant of capex costs per tonne in a hot or cold rolling mill?
- How can I reduce my capital costs in electric steelmaking?
- What is the main driver of capex cost per tonne in a seamless tube mill?
- Are capital costs different for commodity and high performance steels – and why?
- Is it common to have partners involved in financing mill construction – do you have any examples?
- For which main elements of a steel plant do capital investment costs generally not vary with steel volume?
Full answers available in MCI’s steel industry capex report, published October / November 2010.