ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih resumes operation of blast furnace No. 6

PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih has resumed operation of blast furnace (BF) No. 6, which was mothballed in the fall of 2024 due to the market crisis and high electricity tariffs. This is stated in the corporate newspaper Metallurg.

The process of launching the furnace, which usually takes up to ten days, was completed in a record four days. The unit is currently operating stably and is reaching its planned capacity of 3.4 thousand tons of pig iron per day.

Before the launch, the blast furnace operators made considerable efforts to prepare the unit.

“We cleaned the unit from charge residues and dust, and paid special attention to general cleaning in the tundish area to ensure that the output of finished smelting products was free. We also prepared the drainage system for operation… We needed to make sure that after the blast furnace was decommissioned, its technical health was in good shape,” said Grigory Sazonov, Senior Blast Furnace Foreman at Blast Furnace Shop (BF) No. 1.

According to Anton Kisterets, Deputy Head of BF No.1 for Technology, all four blast furnace teams were involved in the launch process.

“Blast furnace blow-up is a complex, multi-stage process, but our blast furnace operators have already mastered it to the point of automation… The furnace did not show its temper, it immediately started working smoothly and efficiently,” he said.

Dozens of specialists were involved in the launch, including shift foremen, blast furnace operators, gas workers and engineers.

BF No. 6 has a symbolic meaning for the enterprise – it was here that the first pig iron was cast in April 2022 after the start of the full-scale invasion. In 2023, the unit underwent an extended second-category overhaul with the modernization of the air heater, aspiration system and electrical equipment.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih mothballed blast furnace No. 6 to survive the war, due to high electricity tariffs for industrial enterprises in Ukraine and unfavorable sales markets. The company operated one blast furnace, Blast Furnace No. 8.

Despite the difficulties, in 2024 the company managed to increase production of all types of products compared to 2023. In particular, pig iron production increased by 42.7% y/y – to 2.17 million tons, and steel production increased by 69.9% y/y – to 1.65 million tons. Rolled steel output amounted to 1.53 million tons, up 72.1% y/y.

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is a full-cycle steel plant in Ukraine. Its production facilities are designed to produce over 6 million tons of steel, 5 million tons of rolled products and 5.5 million tons of pig iron annually. The company employs over 20 thousand people.