MMK’s Cold Rolling Complex: 10 Years in Operation
In 2012, Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) completed the construction of a new cold rolling complex at its sheet rolling plant No. 11. On 16 July 2022, the second stage of this large-scale project was commissioned in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
MMK’s cold rolling complex produces high-quality cold-rolled and galvanised rolled metal for the automotive, household appliance and construction industries. The complex’s technological equipment includes a continuous hydrochloric acid pickling line with a five-stand cold-rolling mill with production capacity of 2.1 million tonnes per year; a continuous hot-dip galvanising plant with capacity of 450,000 tonnes per year; and a combined continuous annealing/hot-dip galvanising plant with capacity of 650,000 tonnes per year. The total construction cost of the complex was USD 1.5 billion.
The first phase of the project – the tandem cold-rolling Mill 2000 – was launched in July 2011. The launch was also attended by Mr Putin, who pressed the symbolic ‘Start’ button, signed the first sheet roll and commented that the mill’s launch was “truly a major event, not only for MMK, but for the entire Russian metallurgical and automotive industry”. Viktor Rashnikov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MMK, said that “the commissioning of Mill 2000 will allow MMK to provide consumers with high-quality cold-rolled and galvanised rolled metal, including high-strength steel grades.”
The second phase of the complex was commissioned a year later. On the same day, Mr Putin held a meeting in Magnitogorsk on the state and prospects for development of the iron and steel industry, where he praised MMK’s investment in new high-tech enterprises in Russia and commended MMK’s experience in improving the environmental safety of its production.
Over the years of its operation, MMK’s modern, high-tech cold-rolling complex has been praised by members of the country’s automotive industry, including both traditional domestic manufacturers and international companies who operate in Russia. Thanks to the complex’s technological capabilities, MMK has long been Russia’s leading supplier of metal products for the automotive industry.