Konecranes has in April 2008 received an order for 19 electric overhead traveling cranes from Russian steel mill OAO Vyksunskij Metallurgitseskij Zavod in the city of Vyksa, about 300 km east of Moscow. Deliveries will begin in the end of 2008, and will be completed by October 2009. The value of the order is not disclosed.

OAO Vyksunskij Metallurgitseskij Zavod is one of Russia's oldest steel mills and a major producer of welded pipes for oil and gas production, transport, construction and the housing and utility sectors. The works in Vyksa has a production capacity of 2 million tons of pipes annually. The works are now being expanded, creating a need for new lifting equipment.

The pipes are made from sheet steel. The cranes ordered will be used in different stages of the process of producing 5 meter wide steel plates and sheets for the pipes. Some of the cranes will be equipped with large electromagnets instead of hooks, for moving the steel sheets along in the process. The cranes have lifting capacities ranging from five to 170 metric tons, depending on their usage.

"This is a follow-up to a crane order from OAO Vyksunskij Metallurgitseskij Zavod in December last year," says Seppo Hoppu, Director, East Europe. "It further strengthens our position as a reliable supplier to the Russian steel industry."

Caption:

"The process cranes that Konecranes supplies to Russia are similar to the one in the picture."

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity-enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment and machine tools of all makes. In 2007, Group sales totaled EUR 1,750 million. The Group has 8,800 employees, in more than 470 locations in 43 countries. Konecranes is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki (symbol: KCR1V).