ArcelorMittal Poland, the largest steel manufacturer in the country, has announced a temporary shutdown of the blast furnace No. 3 at the plant in Dabrova Gornicza. The company explains the decision with the drastic worsening of market situation, which makes the operation of the blast furnace inefficient.
The company operates under several negative conditions: very high energy prices, lack of adequate protection of the European market and expenses due to buying CO2 quotas under EU ETS.
Import covers around 80% of Poland’s steel demand, while in the flat rolled metal segment – 95%. ArcelorMittal notes considerable increase in deliveries from Ukraine and Serbia, as well as new supplies from eastern countries.
The company has already started preparing for the safe shut down of the blast furnace, which will take several weeks and is scheduled to begin in September. ArcelorMittal promised to provide alternative work to all affected employees. (Ukrainian metal)