Algeria’s El Hadjar, the former ArcelorMittal Annaba, has once again suspended the operations at one of its blast furnaces due to the disruption of the iron ore supply. According to the company’s officials, cited by the local media, the crude steel output at the BF 2 was stopped back on September 2 following the depletion of the iron ore stock and the irregularity of supply from the Ouenza mine. Moreover, El Hadjar has organized the team of specialists in order to study the situation at the mining site and applied to the Algerian authorities in order to intervene for the quick problem solution.
The recent crude steel production suspension is not the first one for El Hadjar as earlier this year the company experienced disruptions due to the strikes at the mines and railways and also due to the floods. The possible restoration of the iron ore supply will allow El Hadjar to “achieve its production objectives and to ensure its stability.”
According to the company’s representatives, the asset requires 30 days of iron ore stock in order to ensure the proper functioning of the production chain. Until recently, the complex was producing around 2,500 mt of liquid steel per day while the annual production of the finished steel is estimated at around 800,000 mt with the nominal capacity reaching 1 million mt, SteelOrbis understands.