Ljubljana, 30 May 2025 –SIJ Group is proving that the steel industry is one of the most innovative sectors of the economy.The Gorenjska and Koroška Regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry placed SIJ Group at the top of Slovenian innovation and awarded it a total of eight prizes. Both of this year’s gold-winning innovations, which have advanced to the national level, are intended for use in the energy sector, where only the most advanced steel producers can compete.

At the announcements made by the regional chambers of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia on 27 May 2024 for Koroška and 29 May 2024 for Gorenjska, SIJ Group once again impressed with its innovativeness, which is fostered among all employees across its companies. The innovations of SIJ Acroni, SIJ Metal Ravne, and SIJ Ravne Systems received eight awards – five gold and three silver. Two innovations – SINOXX S450 Superferritic Steel for Demanding Applications in the Electrical Industry from SIJ Metal Ravne, and XM-19 Stainless Steel for the Construction of a TOKAMAK-Type Test Fusion Reactor from SIJ Acroni – will also compete at the national level in the autumn. The search for ever-new solutions plays a decisive role for SIJ Group as a specialised producer of niche steels, striving to enter increasingly demanding markets.

SINOXX S450, a gold-awarded superferritic steel for demanding applications in the electrical industry, has been successfully developed by SIJ Metal Ravne—a world first. This steel is characterised by high purity and homogeneity, which ensure excellent mechanical and magnetic properties in the finished products. Thanks to these properties, the steel helps ensure the long-term reliable operation of the devices made from it, thereby extending their service life and reducing both environmental impact and carbon footprint. Notably, the steel contains extremely low levels of cobalt (less than 0.05% by weight), which means it does not become radioactive during use in nuclear applications and can be fully recycled at the end of its life without posing any additional risk to the environment or human health. SIJ Group steels are produced from secondary raw materials, i.e. steel scrap, which, in line with the principles of the circular economy, can be recycled repeatedly without compromising quality. The innovation will be used in two versions of electric motors to be installed in modern nuclear systems. Demand for this material in the high-end energy industry is growing rapidly, and SIJ Metal has already secured contracts for its supply.

Blaž Šuler, Development Engineer at SIJ Metal Ravne and head of the innovation team, says: "When a customer challenged us to develop one of the most demanding steels for electric motors in nuclear power plants, we became the first in the world to do so using the electroslag remelting (ESR) process. This superferritic steel had previously eluded many of our competitors. The material consistently developed trans-crystalline cracks, and up to half of it had to be scrapped. By developing an ESR process tailored to this steel and optimising the subsequent production stages, we created a material with the required properties—free of these cracks—ensuring the reliable performance of electric motors in the most demanding applications."

The second gold-winning innovation, XM-19 Stainless Steel for the Construction of a TOKAMAK-Type Test Fusion Reactor, developed by SIJ Acroni, has also advanced to the national level. The steel is designed to operate across a wide temperature range—from cryogenic temperatures down to –269 °C to high temperatures up to 650 °C, typical of conditions in a fusion reactor. Compared to conventional stainless steels, XM-19 offers twice the mechanical strength and significantly improved corrosion resistance, making it suitable for many other demanding industrial sectors such as nuclear, chemical, petrochemical, marine, and food industries. "With the innovative steel used in the tokamak of the test fusion reactor, we at SIJ Acroni are also contributing to the transition to a low-carbon society and supporting the shift to safe, clean fusion energy with zero carbon emissions, helping to meet the growing future demand for electricity," said Boštjan Bradaškja, Chief Development Engineer for Stainless Steels and leader of the team that developed XM-19, at the award ceremony.

The third gold award went to the innovation Special Steel SIQUAL 6368, Designed for the Most Demanding Pressure Vessels, Steam Accumulators, and Pressure Pipes.This is the development and production of an entirely new product by SIJ Acroni. Its key advantage lies in its optimised chemical composition, designed to save raw materials and energy. The innovation is also unique because SIQUAL 6368 is the first steel of its kind to be produced from recycled raw materials (steel scrap instead of iron ore), resulting in significantly lower CO₂ emissions compared to competing production methods. The innovation strengthens SIJ Acroni’s position as one of the leading suppliers of special quarto plates on the global market and confirms its ability to adapt to market needs.

The fourth gold-winning innovation is the Development of Products for the Nuclear Industry Market According to the RCC-M Standard. One of the biggest challenges for European countries is dealing with high energy and electricity prices. France is emerging as a leading force in the use of nuclear energy and regulates its requirements through a set of standards known as RCC-M. SIJ Metal Ravne was the first in Europe to develop an innovative technology for producing large-size SINOXX 4980 stainless steel that complies with RCC-M requirements. They successfully produced round steel bars with diameters ranging from 100 to 300 mm—a 50% increase in maximum dimensions compared to existing solutions. This represents a technical breakthrough that has never been achieved by any European manufacturer of materials for the energy sector.

The fifth gold award went to the innovation Complete Recovery of Grinding Sludge from SIJ Ravne Systems SIJ Ravne Systems, in cooperation with Iventor d.o.o., has developed a unique solution to improve the management of waste grinding sludge, which is generated as a by-product of the grinding process before and after heat treatment of products. The sustainable innovation, a briquetting machine with a tank for collecting the squeezed-out coolant, enables the recovery of grinding sludge by efficiently separating the coolant and dry metal particles. The cleaned coolant can be reused in the production process, reducing the use of fresh coolant, while the metal briquettes can be sold as secondary raw material and the cost of disposing of previously hazardous waste is reduced.

"This innovation is a perfect example of the circular economy. By reducing waste and returning filtered coolant back into the production process, the company is not only saving money but also reducing its environmental footprint. Using briquettes as a raw material instead of landfilling them means less space consumption and less negative impact on the environment," explained Marko Miklavc, Head of Research and Development at SIJ Ravne Systems and head of the innovation team.

The silver awards went to SIJ Acroni’s innovations Introduction of Synthetic Flux AF-3-S, which improves steel quality and lowers production costs, and Process Optimisation in the AOD Converter, which makes an important contribution to more sustainable steel production. Silver was also awarded to SIJ Metal Ravne’s innovation Contact Thermocouples: the Sixth Sense of Steel Heat Treatment.

SIJ Group invests in technology and development to create new steels. Drawing on extensive in-house expertise and experience—enhanced through collaboration with national research and educational institutions—they take pride in producing steels that are lighter and thinner, offer longer service life, and therefore have a smaller carbon footprint. These steels are sought after by the world’s most advanced industries, particularly those focused on green energy.

---

SIJ – Slovenian Steel Group is one of Europe's leading producers of stainless steel and special steels. We are committed to global and European climate goals and operate in line with circular economy principles. With our steel and steel products, we are the right partner for facilitating the green transition in Europe. We confirmed our sustainability credentials by achieving certification to the stringent ResponsibleSteel standard in 2024. This positions us as one of the world's most responsible and sustainable steel producers. Our two largest companies are modern recycling steelworks, and our steel is recycled because it is made from steel scrap. With more than 3,600 employees, we are one of the largest employers in Slovenia and a pillar of the Slovenian steel sector. We are one of Slovenia's leading exporters. About 85% of our revenue is generated in foreign markets.

Find out more at:

SIJ – Slovenska industrija jekla, d.d.

Mag. Sara Wagner, Head of Corporate Communications

Corporate Communications

Phone: +386 1 242 98 27

Mobile: +386 41 313 532

E-mail: sara.wagner@sij.si