US miner Cliffs Natural Resources said Monday it would restart iron ore pellet production at its Northshore Mining operation in Minnesota by May 15 after a six-month stoppage as steel imports curbed US demand.
Cliffs said the decision to restart the taconite pellet processing facility is based on domestic customers' demand for iron ore pellets, and the plan is consistent with previously announced annual production plans.
Cliffs will restart output of DR pellets developed at Northshore Mining in 2015 when it resume operation in May, it said.
"As our clients' order books improve and their need for pellets approach more normal levels, we are pleased to announce that we are bringing back to work our dedicated employees at Northshore," CEO Lourenco Goncalves said in a statement.
Cliffs said Hibbing Taconite mine in Minnesota, as well as the Tilden and Empire mines in Michigan, are operating at normal rates.
Cliffs' United Taconite operations in Minnesota are currently idled.
The Cleveland-based company announced the Northshore idling in November and warned United Taconite would be shut through the first quarter.
