Ukrainian steel pipe and wheel producer Interpipe has announced that its new electric furnace steelmaking complex Dneprostal (Interpipe Steel) has melted its 500,000th metric ton of steel. The mill has gradually increased its production capacities, having reached a monthly production rate of approximately 85,000 mt of round steel billets in December. The first heat at Interpipe Steel was conducted on January 17 last year.
The mill plans to produce the next 500,000 mt of steel in half the time needed for the first 500,000 mt.
The designed capacity of Interpipe Steel is 1,320,000 mt of steel a year. The mill plans to start operating at its designed capacity during 2013.