Outokumpu will make an investment to increase capability and capacity of stainless steel quarto plate production at its facility in Degerfors, Sweden. Capability will be increased through new equipment including heat-treatment batch furnaces and a leveler. In addition, a new walking-hearth furnace and cooling bed will be installed. This investment will increase production capacity at Degerfors by 30% to 150,000 metric tons/year.

The majority of new capacity is scheduled to be available in 2014. Outokumpu currently has a global market share of approximately 20% in quarto plate, individually rolled wide and thick plate. In the future, its product mix in quarto plate will include more tailor-made products and special grades, particularly its proprietary low-nickel duplex grades.