Mittal to restart BF at Cleveland, then idle another one
Mittal Steel USA will restart a 4,500 short tons/day blast furnace at its Cleveland works next week, but then idle another similar-size BF for maintenance at the same site two months later, the company tells Steel Business Briefing.
The moves are being made "in order to maintain stable production in its eastern region over the next several months." Mittal Steel USA-Cleveland will restart its C-6 BF on 23 August in preparation for the scheduled idling of Cleveland’s other ironmaker, C-5, in October.
Mittal took C-6 out of production in May, moving up its maintenance schedule in response to market conditions. C-5, which will be idled to perform extensive repairs to the furnace top, will not be restarted until "the order book indicates it is needed." In late May Mittal idled a 4,500 s.t/d BF at its Weirton, West Virginia mill for ten days and then extended the shutdown for at least two months. The Weirton BF remains idle.
The relatively brief time during which Cleveland’s C-5 and C-6 furnaces will both be in operation will help Mittal cover its regional steelmaking needs during an upcoming 20-day maintenance outage at its Sparrows Point, Maryland mill, where a complete reline is needed at one of the plant’s basic oxygen furnaces. The work will likely take place sometime in the fourth quarter.
The moves are being made "in order to maintain stable production in its eastern region over the next several months." Mittal Steel USA-Cleveland will restart its C-6 BF on 23 August in preparation for the scheduled idling of Cleveland’s other ironmaker, C-5, in October.
Mittal took C-6 out of production in May, moving up its maintenance schedule in response to market conditions. C-5, which will be idled to perform extensive repairs to the furnace top, will not be restarted until "the order book indicates it is needed." In late May Mittal idled a 4,500 s.t/d BF at its Weirton, West Virginia mill for ten days and then extended the shutdown for at least two months. The Weirton BF remains idle.
The relatively brief time during which Cleveland’s C-5 and C-6 furnaces will both be in operation will help Mittal cover its regional steelmaking needs during an upcoming 20-day maintenance outage at its Sparrows Point, Maryland mill, where a complete reline is needed at one of the plant’s basic oxygen furnaces. The work will likely take place sometime in the fourth quarter.