German steel giant ThyssenKrupp shut down the blast furnace No. 9 at Duisburg-Hamborn on Monday, January 9 for a period of 180 days to carry out modernization works.
The modernization project with an investment of €37 million includes replacement of the refractory lining and of parts of the cooling system. The project was originally planned for 2014; however, ThyssenKrupp has taken advantage of the seasonal slowdown in flat product demand and brought forward the deadline of the project to the end of May.
During the shutdown of blast furnace 9, the other three blast furnaces, furnaces No. 1 and No. 2 in Schwelgern, as well as furnace No. 8, will operate at full capacity.