Hot‑load Commissioning Successful for MCC Huatian’s Turn‑key 1# Bar Upgrade & New High‑speed Wire‑rod Project of Guigang Steel
On July 18, hot‑load commissioning was successfully completed for the 1# bar production‑line upgrading and new high‑speed wire‑rod project of Guangxi Guigang Iron & Steel Group, which is delivered by MCC Huatian under an EPC contract. Red‑hot steel billets passed through all rolling stands smoothly with precisely matched automatic control parameters. The production line enters pre‑production countdown, marking a milestone for Guigang Steel’s high‑end special‑steel product upgrade. It also demonstrates MCC Huatian’s comprehensive strength and high‑quality delivery capability as a top‑tier player in China’s “national metallurgical construction team”.
As a key technical‑renovation project for Guigang Steel, this project installs core high‑speed wire‑rod equipment on the existing +5.0 m elevated platform to build an intelligent composite bar‑and‑wire‑rod production line with an annual capacity of 700 000 tons.
MCC Huatian Iron & Steel Research Institute leveraged its full‑chain EPC advantages to address construction challenges including dense cross‑operations within the old plant and strict installation accuracy for complete sets of equipment. The full‑line electrical & automation scope was undertaken by Huatian Nanjing Electrical Division. Drawing on rich experience in metallurgical rolling, the team completed PLC system upgrade, high‑precision mill speed‑regulation control and intelligent rolling model development. Full‑process automatic linkage is realized from billet feeding to finished‑product collection, with rolling accuracy and operational stability reaching advanced industry standards.
Upon commissioning, the line will stably produce wire rods of Φ5.5‑28 mm and round bars of Φ18‑60 mm, covering high‑end special‑steel grades such as tire‑cord steel and cold‑heading steel. It will enrich Guigang Steel’s product portfolio, strengthen its supply capacity for premium steel products, and support quality‑and‑efficiency improvement for Guangxi’s manufacturing sector and high‑quality regional infrastructure development.
Since project kick‑off, the Iron & Steel Research Institute implemented full‑lifecycle project management. Institute leaders conducted repeated on‑site inspections, overseeing key activities including equipment procurement, payment collection, construction drawing release, equipment manufacturing & delivery, and multi‑subcontractor cross‑construction. Potential risks such as drawing delays, late equipment supply and multi‑disciplinary clashes were resolved in advance.
Human resources, materials and schedule resources were optimally allocated to close the integrated loop covering design, procurement, construction and commissioning. Multi‑disciplinary works including civil construction, equipment erection and system commissioning advanced in a coordinated manner, with key milestones met or delivered ahead of schedule:
‑ Feb 12, 2026: Roof enclosure of new finished‑product warehouse and completion of main structure for the 5‑meter elevated platform
‑ May 25, 2026: Completion of all production‑equipment erection
‑ Jun 12, 2026: Successful cold joint no‑load commissioning, 4 days ahead of contractual schedule.
During hot‑commissioning preparation, Typhoon Maysak triggered the worst flood in Guigang since 2001. The flood peak of Yujiang River exceeded warning water level by 5.68 m, with on‑site waterlogging depth reaching 1.2 m. Core facilities including precision electrical cabinets and mill drive sensors faced major risks of dampness and short‑circuit, disrupting the overall commissioning schedule.
Upon the emergency, the Iron & Steel Research Institute mobilized corporate resources immediately. The project management department coordinated on‑site emergency response. Team members stayed on‑site round‑the‑clock, wading through floodwater to protect key equipment, inspect and calibrate components, pump out accumulated water, implement moisture‑proof treatment and reinforce insulation. Hidden equipment hazards were eliminated item‑by‑item to recover lost schedule. Thanks to these efforts, hot‑load commissioning was achieved as scheduled on July 18.
On the commissioning day, Yang Yunzhou, Member of the Party Committee, Deputy General Manager of MCC Huatian and President of the Iron & Steel Research Institute, together with Sun Liuheng, Executive Vice‑President of the institute, supervised key hot‑commissioning steps and extended condolences to front‑line staff.
Yang Yunzhou fully recognized the project team’s achievements. To Jiang Yaosheng, Chairman, and Wu Yunkun, President of Guigang Iron & Steel Group, he made three commitments: strict compliance with safety requirements, intensive tuning of rolling processes, and sustained on‑site full‑lifecycle service. He stressed that the integrated EPC strengths in design, procurement, construction and commissioning shall be translated into core production‑line competitiveness, to jointly build this composite mill into a “golden production line” for Guigang Steel’s premium special‑steel output.
Going forward, the EPC project team will provide full‑time on‑site support. Upholding safety and quality requirements, the team will push forward site finishing and process optimization to realize full, stable and high‑quality production. Building on this project, MCC Huatian will deepen cooperation with Guigang Iron & Steel Group in low‑carbon metallurgy and smart‑steel‑plant R&D and implementation, facilitating the high‑end, intelligent and green transformation of Guangxi’s steel industry.
