ArcelorMittal Brazil will resume operation of its Tubarao complex blast furnace No. 3 in mid-October, the company said on Sept. 22.
The 2.8 million mt/year capacity BF has been idle since March due to "an unfavorable economic scenario" resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said in a statement.
According to the company, resuming BF activity is a strategic decision in the face of an apparent recovery in economic activity.
"Although it is still early to evaluate following scenarios, including if there will be a resumption [of activity] and if it will be sustainable, the company wants to be ready for larger and quicker increased operational flexibility," said the company.
After restarting this remaining idled capacity, the company will have Tubarao's nealy 7 million mt/year of furnace capacity available, since its BF No. 2 (1.2 million mt/year of capacity) resumed operations in July.
However, according to the company, the three BFs there will operate at reduced capacity aimed at supplying customers that "gradually resume consumption," and as a way to ensure the operational optimization of the complex.
ArcelorMittal Brazil's operations includes six plants in Brazil (Sol, ArcelorMittal Tubarao, ArcelorMittal Vega, ArcelorMittal Brasil, ArcelorMittal Brasil 2 and ArcelorMittal Sul Fluminense); one in Argentina (Acindar); one in Costa Rica (ArcelorMittal Costa Rica), and one in Venezuela (Industrias Unicon).
