The construction of a new anticorrosion external coating line for large-diameter pipes began at TMK’s Volzhsky subsidiary.

The maximum capacity of the line is 650 thousand tones of pipes annually. These new facilities will supplement the two existing anticorrosion external coating lines for large-diameter pipes at Volzhsky. TMK considers anticorrosion coating of line pipes to be one of the most important value adding component of its business.

The constructing line allows applying one- and two-layer FBE coating; two- and three-layer PE coating and two- and three-layer polypropylene coating. The external coating considerably extends pipelines life time of min 30 years.

This coating equipment technologically is designed to process pipes with up to 42 mm in wall thickness. Thus, the new coating line will match the capacity of a new longitudinal welded large-diameter pipe facility being also currently built in Volzhsky. The works to install the complex should be finalised and operations of longitudinal welded large-diameter pipes are planned to start in 3rd quarter 2008 followed by launching new section of anticorrosion coating in 4th quarter 2008.

Total external coating capacity of the TMK mills will exceed 1.3 million tpa.