Brazilian steelmaker Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) has decided to idle a blast furnace at its Presidente Vargas mill, in the city of Volta Redonda, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, according to several media reports Monday.
The company is expected to idle the blast furnace on January 24, when it will start maintenance works on equipment, an unnamed source told local media. CSN is expected to halt operations at the equipment for at least 90 days.
The company’s No. 2 blast furnace has a 1.8 million mt/year capacity, according to media reports. It accounts for about 30 percent of the capacity of the Presidente Vargas mill.