Guryevsk Metallurgical Works (GMZ), a subsidiary of Russian steel producer ESTAR Holding (ESTAR), has announced that despite idling and the significant reduction of output at the beginning of the year, in 2009 it managed to fulfill its annual production plan and to restore output to pre-crisis levels.
Accordingly, in 2009 GMZ produced 145,800 mt of crude steel in open hearth furnaces, i.e., 91.8 percent of the planned volumes, 156,800 mt of commodity steel products, i.e., 112.1 percent of the planned volumes, including 52,700 mt of steel grinding balls. The company registered year-on-year decreases of 24 percent, 17 percent and 12.75 percent respectively for the products in question.
In 2010, GMZ plans to reach a record output level by producing 314,700 mt of commodity steel products, including 85,000 mt of steel grinding balls.