Svenskt Stål AB (SSAB), a supplier of steel plate products, has awarded Siemens a contract for more than USD 14 million for a Vacuum Tank Degassing (VTD) facility at its Mobile, Alabama, US, facility. Siemens is scheduled to complete the VTD project in May 2010. Siemens will provide two tanks, two cover lifting devices and one vacuum pump system for the VTD facility. Additionally, Siemens will supply a primary de-dusting system, an automatic alloy and flux feeding system, condenser and machine cooling water system. Level 1 and Level 2 automation packages are also included in the scope of supply. The Level 1 automation package consists of all necessary hardware and software for basic control of the degassing equipment: human-machine interface system, programmable logic controllers, panels for the control rooms and operation stations for motors and pumps. The Level 2 automation package provides the industry-specific hardware and software used to optimize the actual steel production of the degassing unit. The metallurgical data stored within the Level 2 system is used to calculate the requirements necessary for the successful degassing of ladles of liquid steel.