Steel Mills
ArcelorMittal USA to Idle #6 BF at Cleveland Works
Written by Sandy Williams
April 7, 2020
ArcelorMittal USA will idle the #6 blast furnace at Cleveland Works due to reduced demand resulting from coronavirus closures in the automotive sector.
ArcelorMittal USA President and CEO John Brett said in an April 3 letter to employees that extended closures in the automotive sector and reduced demand in other segments require the company to adjust production.
“Consequently, we need to take another step to align our steelmaking production with our customers’ needs. Very soon, we will blow down our Cleveland #6 Blast Furnace.”
A blow down is a method of shutting down a blast furnace by running the furnace without charging until most of the coke is consumed and the ferrous burden level is reduced to approximately the tuyere level (nozzle through which air is blown into the furnace).
Last week, high water on the Cuyahoga River prevented iron ore boats from reaching Cleveland Works resulting in a very low supply of iron ore. The company announced to union members on March 29 a four-day idling of C6 along with a downturn for the C5 furnace.
In a letter to union members on March 30, USW Local 979 President Dan Boone said, “This new supply development, the slowing of orders, the cancellation of others, and the undeniable impact of COVID-19, has created an unprecedented impact on our plant.”
The C-6 furnace has a daily capacity of 4,150 net tons and C-5 4,350 net tons.
ArcelorMittal did not respond to a request for comment.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills
Nucor names Batterbee, Bledsoe to HR roles
Nucor Corp. has promoted Thomas J. Batterbee to the position EVP of human resources and talent and appointed Elizabeth Bledsoe to the newly created position of president of human resources and talent.
Millett sees tariffs, CORE case benefiting SDI
Steel Dynamics' top exec thinks Trump’s tariff policies, as well as the results from the recent CORE case, will prove advantageous to the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker and aluminum company.
USW digs in on opposition to USS-Nippon deal
“We remain deeply concerned about the national and economic security implications of the subject transaction,” the union stated in the letter dated April 21.
SDI’s Q1 earnings slump on-year, but up sequentially
SDI earnings slip in first quarter year over year, but are up sequentially.
POSCO inks MoU with Hyundai on Louisiana EAF mill
POSCO has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyundai Motor Group that includes an equity investment in Hyundai’s previously announced EAF mill set to be built in Louisiana.