US Steel Corp. will begin a $12 million upgrade to its blast furnace at its Fairfield Works, Alabama plant during a shutdown that is scheduled to begin May 19, a company executive confirmed Tuesday to plant workers.
The blast furnace investment is an indication that plant executives expect the shutdown to be only temporary. Greg England, rapid response coordinator for the United Steelworkers in Birmingham, stated, "It makes workers feel relieved to see them spending that kind of money on the furnace. The good news is that this plant is not closing."
Last week US Steel announced that it plans to temporarily idle primary steel-making operations, including the blast furnace and caster at Fairfield Works, while continuing to run its tube finishing operations at reduced levels.
While there is no exact timetable set for how long steelmaking at the plant will be idled, John Goodish, US Steel's chief operating officer, said of the Fairfield plant at an information meeting at Fairfield Civic Center, "Our intention is to have it down 25 to 30 days then bring the furnace back up, depending on economic conditions."