Primetals Technologies has secured a major contract from Wuhan Iron and Steel Co, Ltd (WISCO), one of China’s leading steel producers and a subsidiary of the China Baowu Iron & Steel Group, to completely modernize its compact strip production (CSP) casting and rolling line. The project will convert the existing facility into a state-of-the-art conventional hot strip mill with an annual production capacity of 4.2 million tonnes, significantly increasing productivity and expanding the range of high-value steel products.
The modernization project represents one of the largest upgrades of an existing steel mill in China and is aimed at strengthening WISCO’s manufacturing capabilities while supporting the production of premium steel grades for domestic and international markets. The CSP line, which began operations in 2008, was originally designed as a first-generation thin-slab casting and rolling facility equipped with vertical casters, tunnel furnaces and a seven-stand finishing mill. While the plant has operated successfully for many years, increasing demand for higher-quality steel products and improved production efficiency prompted WISCO to invest in a complete transformation of the facility.
Primetals Technologies will carry out the engineering, supply and automation work for the project, which is scheduled for completion within 21 months. The company will also integrate selected equipment from the existing plant to maximize operational efficiency while minimizing reconstruction costs.
The project marks the second successful conversion of a CSP facility into a conventional hot strip mill by Primetals Technologies. The first project of this kind was completed in 2025 at thyssenkrupp Steel’s Bruckhausen plant in Duisburg, Germany, providing valuable experience that will be applied to the WISCO project.
Under the modernization plan, the new hot strip mill will be supplied with 230-millimetre slabs produced by newly installed conventional continuous casting machines. These slabs will be reheated in two advanced walking beam furnaces before entering the rolling process.
The upgraded mill will feature a new high-capacity single-stand reversing roughing mill capable of handling heavy rolling loads. Two heavy-duty edgers will also be installed to improve strip width control and meet the requirements of premium steel production. Additional equipment, including new crop shears and descaling systems, will be added between the roughing and finishing mills to improve process efficiency and product quality.
Existing finishing mills, laminar cooling systems and downcoilers will also undergo major upgrades to support a wider range of steel products while maintaining consistent quality standards. The revamped facility will focus on manufacturing advanced high-strength steels (AHSS), high-carbon steels, micro-alloyed pipeline steels and silicon steels used in industries such as automotive manufacturing, energy, electrical equipment and infrastructure. Once operational, the plant’s annual production capacity will nearly double compared to the current facility.
Primetals Technologies will also supply a comprehensive automation package, including advanced Level 1 and Level 2 automation systems equipped with sophisticated process control models to optimize production efficiency and product consistency. The automation solution will include technologies such as Ski Expert for strip detection, Wedge and Camber Expert for monitoring and correcting strip geometry, and the Asset Life Expert (ALEX) condition monitoring system, which helps improve equipment reliability and reduce maintenance requirements.
The project is expected to strengthen WISCO’s position in China’s premium steel market while supporting the country’s transition toward high-end manufacturing. It also reinforces the long-standing partnership between Primetals Technologies and WISCO, which began in the 1990s and has expanded across several areas, including hot rolling, continuous casting, cold rolling and silicon steel production. With this latest modernization project, both companies aim to enhance manufacturing efficiency, improve product quality and support the future growth of China’s advanced steel industry through world-class technology and innovation.
