The Construction of the Steel Plant Infrastructure
Ask most people to picture a steel plant, and they will see the buildings where the steel is made. What often gets overlooked is the infrastructure that keeps those production lines humming along day after day. Those supporting facilities may not get the same attention, but are just as important to the success of the project.
One example is the new Cold Direct Reduced Iron (CDRI) Storage Facility which is still taking form at the Benghazi steel complex. When finished it will securely hold direct reduced iron until it progresses to the next phase of manufacturing. We’re probably 60 to 65 percent complete with the structure now, and we’ve done most of the bigger structural work.
The facility is designed to store around 140,000 tons of CDRI, which will help to ensure a steady flow of material throughout the plant and reduce the impact of any interruptions to external supply chains. A covered conveyor tunnel is also being constructed that will automatically transfer material between the storage facility and the production units, improving the efficiency of that process and reducing the need for traditional handling methods.
Elsewhere on site, work is continuing on a number of major areas of the project. Piling works are now near completion and installation of concrete and structural steel continues throughout the Reduction Area, the CDRI warehouses, the Pipe Rack Area and the future 220 kV electrical substations. Each section of the site has its own schedule but together they keep driving the project forward.
With the project developing it is encouraging to see more attention shifting from the foundations to the systems and facilities that will ultimately underpin steel production. These are the pieces that make a construction site an operating industrial complex and, piece by piece, that transition is becoming more visible.
Ahmed Alushibe. Libyan Businessman
Founder & Chairman
Alushibe Holding Group
References:
1.Alushibe News. “Alushibe News.” Alushibe News, www.alushibenews.com
2.“Tosyalı Sulb Steel Industries Joint Company.” Tosyalı Holding, www.tosyaliholding.com.tr/en/our-scope-of-activity/group-companies/international-subsidiaries/tosyali-sulb-steel-industries-joint-company