SSAB stops blast furnace - costs 150 million

Blast Furnace in action in a steel mill. Photo: Wikipedia, credit: Marta Malina Moraczewska/Favorites

SSAB has been forced to stop operation of the blast furnace at SSAB Special Steels in Oxelösund since abnormally high temperatures are measured in the blast furnace, the steel company writes in a press release.

The stop is expected to last for two weeks, resulting in, among other things, repair costs and lower deliveries, which in total is expected to affect the company's earnings by a total of approximately SEK 150 million, most of which in the third quarter of 2018.

The causes of the high temperatures should be analyzed. SSAB writes that the blast furnace is fully renovated as late as 2011 and also partially renovated in 2016.

During the shutdown, SSAB Special Steels will utilize SSAB's global production capacity to minimize delayed deliveries.