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hollowware, and catering industry products, are gaining momentum. Yet, the challenge lies in not only sustaining these efforts but also ensuring the tonnage produced can replace lost markets and drive substantial local consumption. Challenges and Opportunities A visual representation of the stainless steel market in South Africa, displayed since 2018, revealed a disconcerting trend of production decline since 2015. This decline was attributed to various challenges, including the decrease in exports to Europe, European Union Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (EU CBAM) regulations, lacklustre economic growth, consistent electricity supply issues, and a deficiency in domestic market share. However, Sassda, under the gambit of the Steel Master Plan (SMP), sees a roadmap to navigate these challenges. The SMP, driven primarily by the private sector and facilitated by the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (the dtic), comprises two principal legs – creating local demand and progressing towards an export market. Sassda’s mandate places a pivotal focus on local demand creation, emphasising its potential to yield more tonnage than mere localisation efforts. The Role of Utility Ferritic Stainless Steel Within the SMP, Sassda has identified two projects with the potential to significantly impact local demand and export capacity. The Eskom transmission towers and rural steel bridges, requiring structural profiles, present an opportunity to develop rolling capacity in South Africa. The incorporation of stainless steel in material specifications for corrosive areas immediately addresses local demand
in mining and infrastructure industries. Additionally, the regional availability of stainless steel structural elements holds promise for applications in corrosive mining environments and coastal infrastructure development, including gas exploration and production in Namibia and Mozambique. With private enterprises investing in large-scale renewable electricity generation and Eskom unlikely to return to its former energy generation capacity, utility stainless steels are cost-effective alternatives for coastal and other corrosive installations. Another opportunity has arisen from the growing impact of extreme weather conditions on existing infrastructure, prompting the government to endorse the Bailey Bridge concept for cost-effective repairs in corrosive areas. While these projects may not lead to sustainable consumption increases, they act as enablers for developing capacity for future infrastructure in Southern and East Africa. The 3CR12 Advantage: A Testimony to Endurance Originating from Columbus Stainless in the late 1970s, 3CR12, a low-cost, corrosion-resistant stainless steel initially designed for the mining industry, is now found in structural applications in the mining, water handling, rail transport, sugar, pulp and paper industries, and general industry. The Marion Island weather base, built on a 3CR12 grating platform, stands as an early testament to the materials enduring qualities, with minimal impact on the ecologically sensitive environment. While the current high cost and scarcity of welded profiles limit the general use of 3CR12 in structural applications, examples such as the Gateway Bridge in KZN
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Issue 3 – 2023
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