Production
This section mainly relates to crude steel, which is the preliminary stage of the finished products (e.g. plate, strip, rod, wire and tube) that Sweden’s steel companies manufacture.
4.9 million tonnes of crude steel was produced in Sweden in 2011, which is an increase of 0.4 percent compared to 2010.
Swedish production of crude steel, thousand metric tonnes
| |
2007 |
2008
|
|
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2012/11 %
|
| Jan |
512.7 | 516.7 | 262.3 | 390.2 | 435.8 | 414.5 | -4.9 |
| Feb | 462.6 | 495.0 | 211.0 | 381.6 | 450.6 | 378.6 | -16.0 |
| Mar | 515.2 | 496.1 | 251.0 | 430.1 | 497.1 | 450.8 | -9.4 |
| Apr | 490.3 | 490.6 | 199.3 | 451.5 | 478.7 | 452.2 | -5.5 |
| May | 505.5 | 492.1 | 213.8 | 439.8 | 495.8 | ||
| Jun | 485.3 | 438.0 | 218.8 | 447.9 | 429.4 | ||
| Jul | 332.4 | 366.7 | 11.3 | 280.5 | 273.4 | ||
| Aug | 403.5 | 380.7 | 105.2 | 326.0 | 308.9 | ||
| Sep | 466.2 | 450.2 | 326.3 | 440.5 | 382.4 | ||
| Oct | 512.5 | 428.4 | 318.2 | 441.6 | 395.6 | ||
| Nov | 498.0 | 367.0 | 329.6 | 425.3 | 345.2 | ||
| Dec | 488.8 | 276.0 | 357.0 | 390.8 | 374.3 | ||
| 4 months | 1,980.8 | 1,998.4 | 923.5 | 1,653.4 | 1,862.2 | 1,696.1 | -8.9 |
| Q1 | 1,490.5 | 1,507.8 | 724.3 | 1,201.9 | 1,383.5 | 1,243.8 | -10.1 |
| Q2 | 1,481.1 | 1,420.7 | 631.9 | 1,339.2 | 1,403.9 | ||
| Q3 | 1,202.1 | 1,197.6 | 442.7 | 1,046.9 | 964.7 | ||
| Q4 | 1,499.3 | 1,071.4 | 1,004.9 | 1,257.6 | 1,115.1 | ||
| Year | 5,673.0 | 5,197.5 | 2,803.7 | 4,845.6 | 4,867.2 | ||
The diagram below shows the production trends for crude steel and pig iron.
Iron ore and steel scrap are the two most important raw materials in the production of steel. Almost two-thirds of the total crude steel production is based on iron ore.
Iron-ore based steel is manufactured in oxygen furnaces (LD-converters) with molten iron as principal input. The remaining steel is produced in electric arc furnaces and utilises steel scrap as raw material. The diagram below shows how different manufacturing processes have succeeded one another from the beginning of the 20th century.
In order to retain their positions in the global market, Swedish steel companies have focused production on more advanced steel qualities. This has meant that the share of so-called alloy steel – which also includes the stainless steels – has steadily increased. At present around 60 % of the total production comprises alloyed steel. In the rest of the EU, as well as in the USA and Japan, alloy steels only comprise 10-15 % of the production. Even lower is the share in the rest of the world. Below is an illustration of the changes in steel grade distribution since 1990.
Contacts
Jenni Ranhagen
tel +46 8 679 17 52
mobile +46 70 679 17 52
jenni.ranhagen@jernkontoret.se
Mathias Ternell
tel +46 8 679 17 20
mobile +46 70 257 41 41
mathias.ternell@jernkontoret.se
