Heavy plate products are used for various applications in the energy sector, among which pipe lines for the transmission of gas and oil are of large importance. Growing quantities of these energies are demanded in developed and in developing countries; using oil and gas lowers environmental burdens by saving CO_2 emissions relative to coal fuelled processes. TMPCP heavy plate products help to ensure the long-term economical supply of natural gas. Plate steels for line pipe application are produced in wall thicknesses up to about 35 mm. When higher strength steels are used, savings are either possible in material through lower wall thickness or in operational costs by transmitting the gas at higher pressures. Both options, possibly in combination, help to curb costs. This has been a motivation for developing advanced plate materials with very high strengths. The current paper summarizes the progress achieved in recent years and the status reached today.
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