ArcelorMittal Tubarão reaches output of 4 million mt at its hot strip mill

ArcelorMittal Tubarão, the world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal's slab and flat steel producing subsidiary located in the Grande Vitória region of Brazil's Espírito Santo state, has announced that in the first half of May its hot strip mill reached its annual production output of four million metric tons. The company stated that this volume was the nominal output forecast for after the completion of the expansion project and the start of operations of the second slab reheating furnace in July 2009.
 
Before the expansion the nominal capacity was 2.8 million metric tons per year. This achievement is the result of planning that started in 2008, added to recent actions for the improvement of equipment reliability.
 
The hot strip mill started its operations on August 31, 2002, while the official startup was on November 11 of that same year. The initial forecast aimed at a production of two million metric tons in the first phase and 3.6 million metric tons in the second. However, the mill is currently operating at four million metric tons.