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The World Steel Association (worldsteel) has released in April 2023 its Short Range Outlook (SRO) steel demand forecast for 2023 and 2024. worldsteel forecasts that this year, demand will see a 2,3 % rebound to reach 1822,3 Mt. Steel demand is forecast to grow by 1,7 % in 2024 to reach 1854,0 Mt. Manufacturing is expected to lead the recovery, but high interest rates will continue to weigh on steel demand. Next year, growth is expected to accelerate in most regions, but deceleration is expected in China.

Dr Christoph Riemer has assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Zschimmer & Schwarz Group as of 1 January 2023.

Together with Horn & Co. Group/DE, RHI Magnesita/AT launched in autumn 2022 MIRECO – a leading secondary refractory raw materials platform in Europe. The new team has also launched a new recycling centre in Austria. At the heart of MIRECO is the concept CERO (Continuous Economic Recycling Optimization) Waste, a customised concept that uses circular economy to enable the use of high-quality recycled raw materials and prevent expensive and environmentally harmful landfill as far as possible.

RHI Magnesita/AT announced early in January 2023 the completion of the acquisition of the Indian refractory business of Dalmia Bharat Refractories Limited (DBRL) via a Share Swap Agreement. Consequently, Dalmia OCL Limited (DOCL), the Indian refractory business of DBRL, stands as a 100 % subsidiary of RHI Magnesita India Limited. DOCL is one of India’s leading refractory players and a long-term trusted partner to customers in the region.

RHI Magnesita/AT announced mid of January the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Jinan New Emei Industries Co. Ltd. (Jinan New Emei), a leading producer of refractories in China.

Since fall 2021, the European alumina industry has been facing significant and continuous increases in its production costs. Natural gas and electricity triplicating prices led to a first cost pass-through. The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and the sanctions imposed to Russia has pushed further the energy prices amid a tightening of gas supply.
In the meantime, other raw materials have increased significantly, and inflation have reached high rates in all countries since decades. Those factors led to another cost past-through during spring. In the past weeks, the situation has worsened.

Shinagawa Refractories/JP, a leading global supplier of refractory solutions, announced that it has entered into a Know-How License Agreement for certain refractory products and services with Dalmia Bharat Refractories/IN, one of the most prestigious and well-respected refractory producers in India.

The German refractory industry is a world leader in product quality and in the application areas of high-temperature processes. The processing of refractory materials is of particular importance. That is why the German refractory industry is supporting the establishment of a professorship Refractory Engineering“ as an industrial partner. Dr Amin El Gammal has been appointed on the tandem professorship.

Primetals Technologies/GB and RHI Magnesita/AT have signed in November 2022 a cooperation contract to jointly develop a new technology for melting low grade Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) for green steelmaking.