According to local media reports, ArcelorMittal Poland has postponed the restart of blast furnace No 3 at the Dqbrowa Gornicza plant, which was shut in early September due to decrease in demand, increasing levels of imports from outside the EU and increasing natural gas and electricity prices, to early January since there is no improvement in the market and a recovery is not expected in the coming weeks.The report quoted ArcelorMittal Poland as saying “At the beginning of September, we informed that we were forced to adjust our production level to the difficult situation on the market caused, among others, by the economic slowdown, high energy prices. Therefore, we announced a temporary suspension of blast furnace No 3, hoping to restart it as soon as possible. Since then, we have been keeping a close eye on the market and forecasts for a possible increase in demand, a long-awaited recovery in activity in Europe. Unfortunately, this is not happening yet. And we do not see any signs of a recovery in the market in the coming weeks. We continue to see our order book holding steady below the level of technological operation of at least two blast furnaces. Unfortunately, for these reasons, we will not be able to resume operation of blast furnace No. 3 before the end of this year. We are still prepared for this restart, but the exact date will depend on the market situation.”Polish trade union NSZZ Solidarność Chairman Mr Lech Majchrzak said “At the turn of November and December, the management informed us that Blast Furnace No 3 would be restarted between December 10 and 20. Now we have learned that it is to take place in early January, but a specific date has not been given. This is starting to resemble the situation from the Krakow branch of AMP, where in 2020 the restart of the blast furnace was also postponed several times, and finally it was definitely stopped.”
According to local media reports, ArcelorMittal Poland has postponed the restart of blast furnace No 3 at the Dqbrowa Gornicza plant, which was shut in early September due to decrease in demand, increasing levels of imports from outside the EU and increasing natural gas and electricity prices, to early January since there is no improvement in the market and a recovery is not expected in the coming weeks.The report quoted ArcelorMittal Poland as saying “At the beginning of September, we informed that we were forced to adjust our production level to the difficult situation on the market caused, among others, by the economic slowdown, high energy prices. Therefore, we announced a temporary suspension of blast furnace No 3, hoping to restart it as soon as possible. Since then, we have been keeping a close eye on the market and forecasts for a possible increase in demand, a long-awaited recovery in activity in Europe. Unfortunately, this is not happening yet. And we do not see any signs of a recovery in the market in the coming weeks. We continue to see our order book holding steady below the level of technological operation of at least two blast furnaces. Unfortunately, for these reasons, we will not be able to resume operation of blast furnace No. 3 before the end of this year. We are still prepared for this restart, but the exact date will depend on the market situation.”Polish trade union NSZZ Solidarność Chairman Mr Lech Majchrzak said “At the turn of November and December, the management informed us that Blast Furnace No 3 would be restarted between December 10 and 20. Now we have learned that it is to take place in early January, but a specific date has not been given. This is starting to resemble the situation from the Krakow branch of AMP, where in 2020 the restart of the blast furnace was also postponed several times, and finally it was definitely stopped.”
