São Paulo - March 16th 2017 GE Energy Connections (NYSE: GE) is helping ArcelorMittal Tubarão improve its productivity and reduce downtime. The company is located in Brazil, and is part of the largest steel producer in the world. The long term maintenance contract, valued at approximately R$ 2 million, will cover 11 Circuit Breakers in ArcelorMittal's plant in Brazil.
ArcelorMittal Tubarão has a 7.0 million ton/year capacity to produce steel slabs and hot rolled coils. The company produces the electric power needed, using the steam and gas bi-products at its power plant.
Circuit breakers play a crucial role in a power plant's substation. They are the switch that allows current to flow and are also responsible for the protection of the equipment in case of a short-circuit or an overload. As part of the contract, GE initiated its rotation program where a new circuit breaker will replace an existing circuit breaker whilst it is undergoing repair and servicing. The repaired circuit breaker is then rotated with next circuit breaker and the cycle continues until all circuit breakers have undergone maintenance. As the circuit breakers remain the same, civil works are minimized and no adaptation or training is required. This way, ArcelorMittal can continue their operations with minimal interruptions.
"As the world's leading steel producer, we are keen to make sure that we are able to continue to support our customers. We need solutions that keep us sustainable. GE is helping us to do that by refurbishing and renovating our equipment, with guaranteed reliability and minimal disruption," said Fabricio Victor de Assis, Energy Production Manager ArcelorMittal Tubarão.
The rotation program will save to ArcelorMittal over 70% in production downtime in comparison to replacing each circuit breaker with an entire new model.
"We understand the need to keep businesses running, minimizing downtime and increasing efficiency. We are making this happen by working closely with ArcelorMittal to deliver and work on a solution that will enable our customer's operational continuity," said Emanuel Bertolini, General Manager, Latin America, Grid Solutions from GE Energy Connections.
