Steel Market Production Increases – U.S. Steel announced that the maintenance outage for the Gary Works No. 14 blast furnace has been completed and the BF can now operate at a higher capacity with “significantly” lower consumption of coke.
Steel Market Production Increases – After the start-up of another 3 mtpy of crude steel capacity a week ago, Chinese steelmaker Yuzhong Iron & Steel plans to begin production at two 800,000 tpy wire rod mills sometime around November 10, with the projects lifting both crude and finished capacity to about 4 mtpy.
Steel Market Production Increases – Indian steelmaker Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd will import billet for the 500,000 tpy rebar mill at the Raigarh facility until the company can begin production at the facility’s new billet plant in August, 2013. An additional 700,000 tpy plate mill is planned for early 2013 and the entire brownfield integrated steel project is expected to add 1.5 mtpy of capacity when completed.
Steel Market Production Cuts – While it was previously reported that Peruvian steelmaker Aceros Arequipa planned to add an additional 650,000 tpy rolling mill by year-end, the company has pushed the start date back to February 2013.
Steel Market Production Increases – Ukrainian steelmaker Interpipe plans to install a new 325,000 tpy rotary hearth furnace at the Niko Tube facility in the first quarter of 2013, replacing the old 212,000 tpy furnace.
Steel Market Production Cuts – Russian coil producer Vektron has permanently ceased operations at their 100,000 tpy hot-dip galvanized coil mill inUkraineand plans to relocate the line in the first half of 2013; Vektron is considering Russia.
Steel Market Production Cuts – Italian steelmaker Ilva has temporarily halted production of the finishing end and will reduce production of the hot end after a worker was killed in an accident on Oct. 30. The plant was operating at about 70% of capacity – or some 22,000 tpd – despite recent environmental sanctions and will be idled for “a few days”.
Sources: Steel Business Briefing, American Metal Market
