ArcelorMittal Pecem, the slab producer located in the northeastern state of Ceará, is increasing the workforce in its Research and Development area (R&D), now counting on 50 workers.
According to the local press, the move could be pointing to the setup of a HRC line in the plant, which would have the advantage of having a premium quality slab as feedstock, when compared to the other slab producer of ArcelorMittal, the Tubarão plant, located in the southeastern state of Espírito Santo.
The newspaper Diario do Nordeste mentioned that the information was confirmed by a source linked to ArcelorMittal, which added that the project could also benefit from a wide number of projects in the state of Ceará, dedicated to the production of green hydrogen, based on renewable energy from solar and wind powered plants, ultimately allowing for the production of green steel by Pecem.
The API grade slab produced by Pecem is highly valued in the US by companies dedicated to the production of heavy plates for pipelines.