Venezuelan state-owned steelmaker Complejo Siderurgico Nacional's main plant may stop operations in the coming days due to the lack of raw materials, especially hot-briquetted iron, mill sources mill said Wednesday.
"Our production is very low, and the Casima plant may stop operations in the coming days," said the manager of the workers union Sidernac, Alejandro Alvarez.
According to Alvarez, the company only produced around 40,000 mt of steel products during the year, while the goal for the year was to reach 450,000 mt.
"Now the target is to produce around 96,000 mt," said the manager, adding that "if the Casima plant stops, operations at rolling plants Guarenas, Antimano, and Valencia would be directly affected."
After resuming all plant operations in the middle of July, the steel complex continues to ask for more HBI to keep producing at regular levels.
The Casima plant operates its steelmaking process with 20% of ferrous scrap and 80% with HBI. "CSN needs an average of 30,000 mt/year of HBI to produce," said Alvarez.
According to a source with Briquetera del Caroni union Sutrasovenyss, the reason BriqCar does not supply HBI to CSN is "all products are reserved to be destined to Sidor and Ferrominera," he said. "Such companies supply HBI producers' pellets and iron ore, so HBI producers give then back HBI."
BriqCar -- former Venprecar -- is said to have around 42,000 mt of HBI in its inventories. "We cannot ship more than 5,000 mt of it to CSN," the Sutrasovenyss source said.
The last two plants that resumed operations were the Guarenas and Valencia rolling plants. The Casima and Barquisimeto plants produce crude steel in an electric arc furnace process, while the others are rolling plants.
The company resumed operations at the Casima plant at the end of May after a four-month halt. The plant in Puerto Ordaz has an installed billet-casting capacity of 42,000 mt/month.
CSN resumed operations in mid-June at its Antimano plant in Caracas state, as well as Barquisimeto and Lara, both of which are in Lara state.
The Guarenas plant, in Miranda state, has an annual rolling capacity of 70,000-75,000 mt of long products. The rolling capacity of Valencia, in Guarico state, is unknown.
CSN -- formerly Sidetur -- produces rebar, beams, profiles, sections, billet, mesh, trusses, bars, plates, joists and wires at its various units. It also operates 15 scrap yards.
