The startup of the 1.5 million mt/year expanded Saba Steel plant and affiliated hot rolled coil units in Isfahan province helped Iran's largest steel producer Mobarakeh Steel Co. increase its production capacity, Public relations Manager Nazemi Harandi said Wednesday.
The Saba steel plant, which is yet to be officially inaugurated, was producing at about 1 million mt/year and was expected to reach full capacity within a year, he said.
MSC had the capacity to produce 10.3 million mt/year of crude steel, including output from its affiliated plants of Hormozgan Steel Co. and Saba Steel, he added.
MSC produced 4.17 million mt of crude steel over April-September, the first six months of the current Iranian year, up 14% year on year, according to data from state-owned Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation, or Imidro.
Domestic demand for flat steel products as well as an antidumping probe by the European Union pushed down MSC's exports 60% year on year to 427,390 mt over April-September, Imidro data showed.
The EU announced last Friday an antidumping duty of Euro 57.50 ($68)/mt on imports of HRC from Iran.
