Venezuelan steelmaker Complejo Siderurgico Nacional is expected to receive around 1 million mt of ferrous scrap in coming months as part of the National Scrap Plan to produce rebar, basic industries minister Juan Arias has said.
Rebar and other steel inputs will be used in the construction of houses in Gran Mision Vivienda Venezuela, a state housing scheme, Arias said Saturday, according to a ministry statement Monday. He made his remarks during a visit to the Barquisimeto plant in Lara state.
"Venezuela has around 1 million mt of ferrous scrap, and we can use it to produce good quality rebar," Arias said. "Around 800,000 mt of these scraps are already in the hands of the state."
The goal is to transform ferrous scrap in around 300,000 mt of steel products.
CSN also received more than 17,000 firearms to transform into steel, the company said in a separate statement Monday. In the past 13 years, more than 423,000 firearms were transformed into steel. No tonnage result was disclosed.
In the past week, the steelmaker asked the government to redirect Briquetera del Caroni hot-briquetted iron production to domestic consumption instead of exports, as CSN would be able to increase its production.
Roughly 50% of Venezuela's rebar market is supplied by Sidor, 35% by CSN and 15% by the private company Gerdau Sizuca.
The former Sidetur, CSN produces rebar, beams, profiles, sections, billet, mesh, trusses, bars, plates, joist and wires at its various units. It also operates 15 scrap yards.
