World Steel Dynamics: The Blast Furnace Isn’t Dead Yet
06/18/2019 - As U.S. mini-mills install new capacity that will allow them to produce high-quality steels, some might argue the integrated producers are doomed. But that’s not necessarily so, said World Steel Dynamics founder and managing partner Peter Marcus.
Speaking during the second day of Fastmarkets AMM’s annual Steel Success Strategies conference in New York, Marcus said integrated producers still have advantages over the EAF operators – some own their own iron ore mines, he said, and they’re low cost. They also have dedicated automotive customers.
“It’s going to be very hard to dislodge some of these plants,” Marcus said.
Marcus speculated that instead of bringing about the end of the domestic blast furnaces, the new capacity could displace imported steels.
