Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau has announced that it will resume operations at blast furnace No. 1 of its Açominas unit on July 1 due to the gradual improvement in domestic and international demand.
Gerdau has added that the No. 1 blast furnace, located in Ouro Branco in Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais, will be gradually ramped up.
Blast furnace No 1, the Açomicas' unit's largest furnace with an installed capacity of three million mt per year, was idled and went into advance maintenance works in December 2008.
Meanwhile, Gerdau will also temporarily suspend operations at blast furnace No. 2 in the unit in question. Blast furnace No. 2, with an installed capacity of 1.5 million mt per year, will be idled on July 20 and will resume operations based on market developments.