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Blast Furnace Outage to Impact Production at Severstal North America
02/18/2008 - Severstal North America’s overall production volume will be reduced by some 35% due to an outage its “B” Blast Furnace, according to preliminary information released by OAO Severstal.
Severstal North America’s overall production volume will be reduced by some 35% due to an outage its “B” Blast Furnace, according to preliminary information released by OAO Severstal.
B Blast Furnace—the smaller of Severstal North America’s two blast furnaces—was shut down following a breach of the furnace’s shell. The company expects to refurbish it in full and estimates that the outage and decline in overall production will last for 18 to 24 months.
Severstal noted that “C” blast furnace is operating as planned, and its production is expected to reach capacity late in the third quarter of 2008. The company said that its modernization of Severstal North America’s production for the manufacture of a wider range of automotive steel sheet products and grades—part of a recently announced US$1 billion investment in North America—the remains on track.
“Our investment in Severstal North America is a key aspect of our overall business,” said Alexey Mordashov, CEO of OAO Severstal. “We remain focused on building a thriving business in North America, and Severstal North America plays an important role in our growth strategy.”
The company said its modernization process will support Severstal North America’s continued adherence to strict internal and external safety standards and is planned to improve the overall efficiency of operations.
