US silicomanganese producer Felman Production will not declare force majeure while its 105,000 mt/year plant in New Haven, West Virginia, is idled, a company spokesman said Wednesday.
There had been speculation that Felman might have to notify its suppliers and customers about a temporary disruption in shipments and receivables after a transformer failure in one of the plant's two operational electric arc furnaces closed the facility last week.
But the spokesman confirmed in an email that a force majeure declaration will not be necessary, without elaborating.
The shutdown is expected to last about three weeks, Felman said in a statement Tuesday, meaning the plant could resume production in the first half of August.
Roy Martin, an official with the United Steelworkers union, corroborated the shutdown in an email to Platts on Wednesday, but had no further information about how long it might last. The union represents hourly workers at the plant.
Felman restarted the West Virginia plant in 2014 after it was shut June 2013-July 2014. The company is owned by Miami-based Georgian American Alloys.
Felman's products are distributed to steelmakers across North America and South America through its sister company, Felman Trading Inc.
