Swiss plantmaker SMS Concast AG has announced that it will supply the first electric arc furnace to the Egypt-based long steel producer El Marakby Steel.

The new furnace with an annual capacity of 350,000 mt will broaden El Marakby's portfolio and strengthen the company's competitive position. The new meltshop will be used to feed El Marakby's rebar mill with 130 mm square billets. The mill has a capacity of 240,000 mt of rebar per year. Excess billet output will be sold to the open market.

El Marakby Steel will use scrap from the Unites States and Europe in the new furnace scheduled to be commissioned at the end of 2013. It will also be possible to load the furnace with up to 20 percent of scrap substitute.

As SteelOrbis previously reported, in July 2012 El Marakby CEO Hassan Elmarakby stated that the company is planning to build a second rolling mill with an annual production capacity of 350,000 mt following the commissioning of the meltshop.