Busquin recognises ECSC's achievements
The achievements of the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community) were highlighted on 31 October in Dunkirk when recent successes from four results from its research programme were presented in the presence of European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin and director of the Fifth Framework's growth programme, Ezio Andreta. During the ECSC Treaty's 50 years of existence, the total volume of research work is estimated to be about 1 billion euro. Today, steel research funded by the EU budget amounts to about 56 million euro per year. For every euro invested in steel research, 13 euro are injected into the economy in terms of a lowering of steel prices and the protection of European factories and employment, said Mr Busquin. The Commissioner added that without the support of the ECSC, many research projects would not have been carried out. 'Community values, collaboration, solidarity, which were initiated in the ECSC have spread to many sectors, becoming the pillars upon which economic and monetary union have taken shape [...]. In the framework of the Union, the instruments upon which the ECSC has focused have been extended, strengthened and completed with the setting to work of new tools for the promotion of research and innovation,' Mr Busquin stated. The Commission intends to continue this tradition on 23 July 2002 when the ECSC treaty expires and the Commission takes over responsibility for the continuation of research. Mr Busquin reiterated that the Commission intends to continue to manage coal and steel research in the same way that the ECSC has done, and that the post-ECSC research programme will be financed by income from the assets of the ECSC in liquidation. This year has seen the provision of 56 million euro for coal and steel research. Next year, 52 million is expected to be available for the final call for proposals. In the year following the termination of the ECSC, 45 to 46 million will be made available for the sector, two thirds being allocated to steel, and one third to coal. All of the projects presented in Dunkirk demonstrated new products or techniques related to the steel industry, which will not only contribute to increased EU competitiveness, but to the protection of the environment. The first project concerns the use of artificial intelligence to control a blast furnace. The system is able to anticipate, give warnings and recommendations on operations, making them safer. The process gives a higher quality product, which needs less reprocessing, thus extending the life of the furnace. CO2 emissions are also reduced, and work safety improved. The savings obtained have already exceeded expectations, and run into millions of euro. The system in Dunkirk will be extended next year, and USINOR, the project co-ordinators, are currently negotiating the sale of their intelligence to several American companies. The second project, led by the Centre for Research in Metallurgy (CRM), Belgium has focused on the development of an ultra light steel automotive body (ULSAB). The results have reduced the weight of a car's body by 25 per cent, and by consequence, petrol consumption. The thermal process employed in the process also leaves the car body less vulnerable to damage and therefore corrosion. Productivity is also increased by 30 per cent, and the car's life extended. The process is already in production, and has been rapidly taken up. A project co-ordinated by EKO Stahl GmbH (Germany) has developed a more efficient procedure to deal with an unavoidable by-product of steel production: oxide sludge. Whereas this sludge has previously been roasted in a kiln for 45 minutes, using large quantities of energy, this new process uses a vertical 'flash' treatment, which decreases the level of chemical impurities in the powder, and lasts only 3 seconds. The resulting ferrite powder is well suited for high performance magnets. The whole process increases productivity by 60 per cent, and reduced energy consumption by a staggering 99 per cent. Finally,a more economical direct strip casting method has been developed by a consortium led by Salzgitter AG (Germany). The new process requires only a fraction of the space necessary for a traditional strip casting steel line. It also reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent. The result is better surfaces and mechanical properties, making the process highly interesting for the auto, shipbuilding and aeronautics industries. Mr Busquin referred to the four projects as representing a 'sample of recent research work, and demonstrating, if it is needed, the vivacity of the European steel industry' Mr Busquin hopes that the establishment of a European Research Area (ERA) will also contribute to the co-ordination of coal and steel research. The Commission adopted ERA communication 'to initiate an extensive debate on the obstacles to good community use of European research's resources, institutions, tools and personnel, and on the methods to eliminate these progressively through cooperation.'