NLMK plans to increase steel output at Lipetsk by 10-14 percent in 2010

Monday, 08 February 2010 17:09:56 (GMT+2)

The Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) plans in 2010 to increase its steel output at its main production site in Lipetsk by 10-14 percent year on year to 9.3-9.7 million mt, NLMK's general director Vladimir Nastich has said at a meeting of leaders of industrial enterprises from Russia's Lipetsk region.

Despite challenging market conditions, in 2009 the steel output of NLMK's production site in Lipetsk remained unchanged from the previous year's level, amounting to 8.507 million mt. Meanwhile, its average capacity utilization rate over the year amounted to 93 percent, which is lower than usual due to the temporary stoppage of furnaces.

As SteelOrbis previously reported, NLMK has stated that its current main task is to boost its steel production by 40 percent to about 12.4 million mt per year by 2012 through the implementation of the second phase of its technical upgrading program (2007-2011).  Currently, NLMK is continuing the construction of its new 3.4 million mt capacity blast furnace (BF) No.7, which is expected to begin hot testing in mid-2011.

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