Nikopol «Centravis» (Centravis) specializes in the production of seamless stainless steel pipes — one of which will be used to supply fuel to one of the rockets of the American aerospace company SpaceX.
How notes Forbes, the order includes 28 tons of thick-walled pipe with a combination of mechanical properties such as ductility, hardness, and the ability to withstand ultra-high pressure and operate in aggressive environments.
The order was completed in a short time (2.5 months) at the main production facility in Nikopol. The pipe has now been shipped and will soon arrive at SpaceX — it is not yet known for which rocket it will be used.
According to Dmytro Kyslenko, sales manager at Centravis Sales America, the order from SpaceX was atypical, as seamless and stainless pipes of similar sizes and characteristics are not mass-produced:
«We were able to convince the customer that we would produce the pipe on time and that it would meet all their needs. Our experience in the US market certainly played a role».
It is noted that Centravis previously produced a special pipeline for NASA, which was used during the test of the launch vehicle Space Launch System.
Centravis, founded by the Atanasov family over 20 years ago, specializes in the production of seamless stainless-steel pipes for the automotive, power, oil and gas, and aviation industries. In 2023, the company produced 12,200 tons of seamless stainless pipes, with over 99% of the volume exported to 38 countries. Among the largest consumers of Ukrainian seamless pipes are Germany, Italy and the United States, and customers include Thyssenkrupp, Alstom, Samsung, ExxonMobil, BMW, Volkswagen.