Thanks to the flexibility of power cuts previously implemented by the Venezuelan government, Sidor has announced that during the month of July, the company achieved production capacity of 62 percent, further estimating that it will close 2010 with 1,600,000 tons of liquid steel produced.
According to company representatives, this is largely due in part to the flexibility of the previously announced energy restrictions set forth by the Venezuelan government, which capped megawatt (MW) usage by both individuals and companies for the first half of the year.
In the first six months of the year, the 300MW cap allowed for only a 35 percent steelmaking capacity. Energy usage was increased by 100MW in July, thereby allowing for a near doubling of steel production.