Austria-based plantmaker Siemens Metals Technologies has announced that the billet caster supplied to Armenia-based ASCE Group OJSC commenced operations at the Charentsavan works in August.

The two-strand caster is designed for annual production of 200,000 metric tons of billets with a square cross-section of 120 mm x120 mm. The billets produced at the Charentsavan plant are processed further to make structural steel in a bar mill, also supplied by Siemens.

ASCE Group OJSC is the market leader in scrap recycling in Armenia and runs an electric arc furnace-based mini-mill melt shop in Charentsavan.