On February 15, ArcelorMittal Galati, Romania-based subsidiary of the world's largest integrated metals and mining company ArcelorMittal, halted its blast furnace (BF) No. 4 for two weeks of scheduled upgrading works, at the cost of an investment of €2.7 million.
Accordingly, the modernization of ArcelorMittal Galati's BF No. 4, which will include the replacement, repair and checking of its main equipment, is being carried out within the company's technical improvement program, directed towards the reduction of variable costs and towards ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the plant.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, ArcelorMittal Galati is investing about €53 million for a 12-month modernization of its BF No.5, which will allow the company to double its annual pig iron production to over 4.2 million mt and to reduce the difference between the variable costs of ArcelorMittal Galati and ArcelorMittal's units in Western Europe.
In 2010, ArcelorMittal Galati plans to increase its capacity utilization level to 65 percent compared to 40 percent in 2009.