ArcelorMittal Poland eyes two BF operation following restart
ArcelorMittal Poland (AMP) has completed the revamp of its Dabrowa Gornicza plant’s blast furnace no.2 and blown the unit in, the firm says.
The work, which began at the end of March, included the replacement of the furnace hearth refractory lining as well as the construction of a new cooling system and modern gas treatment plant. It will result in the reduction of 45,000 tonnes/year of CO2 emissions. Moreover, electricity consumption has been lowered nearly 400 MWh per year and over 18,000t of dust are recycled and reused in the steelmaking process.
The firm tells Kallanish it now plans to operate both blast furnaces at Dabrowa Gornicza and has no intention of idling either one. BF3 was restarted in January, following its idling last September due to weak demand, in preparation for the shutdown of BF2 for revamping, which cost PLN 720 million ($167m).
AMP saw crude steel production fall 15% on-year in 2022 to 3.4 million tonnes, thereby dropping below 2020-pandemic output of 3.9mt.
Adam Smith Poland
Steel rebar, wire rod prices stable in Poland amid lack of activity
Rebar
The most recent rebar offers from three local producers were heard at 2,660-2,680 zloty ($656-661) per tonne CPT (about 2,630-2,650 zloty per tonne ex-works), while estimates of workable prices were in the range of 2,600-2,650 zloty per tonne ex-works, depending on the tonnage.
No fresh bookings had been heard by the time of publication.
Consequently, Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Poland, was 2,600-2,650 zloty per tonne on August 11, stable week on week.
Wire rod
Recent offers from local steelmakers of low-carbon, drawing-quality wire rod were reported at 2,800-2,900 zloty per tonne CPT, unchanged since late July, but the upper end of that range was considered unworkable by most customers.
Workable prices were estimated to be around 2,750 zloty per tonne CPT, with some deals from a key producer heard at this price.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (drawing quality), domestic, delivered Poland, was 2,750-2,800 zloty per tonne on August 11, unchanged over the past month.
Offers of wire rod imports into Poland were also limited in the assessment week, with European mills out of the market for maintenance work or other stoppages.
Ukraine-origin mesh-quality wire rod was heard to be available at €600-610 ($660-671) per tonne CPT, depending on the supplier.
Published by: Vlada Novokreshchenova
Seasonal slowdown keeps Polish rebar prices flat; market hoping for demand rebound in September
Rebar offers from three local producers were broadly stable week on week at 2,660-2,680 zloty ($653-658) per tonne CPT (about 2,630-2,650 zloty per tonne EXW).
Transactions were scarce, however, with tradable values reported at 2,600-2,650 zloty per tonne ex-works, depending on the tonnage. Mills in the region were able to offer rebar from stock with quick shipment, market sources said.
Sources said they expect rebar prices to stabilize in the coming weeks and were cautiously optimistic about a pick-up of construction activity in the residential sub-sector in September.
“Demand is still weak, partially due to the vacation season, but also because construction activity is still very slow. The only hope is that new construction projects will start from September and boost demand for rebar,” a trader in Poland said, with the Polish government launching a support program for the nation’s “first home buyers,” offering housing loans with a fixed 2% interest rate over 10 years, with the difference to the actual interest rate covered by the state.
That program, available for young people only for their first house or apartment purchase, is supposed to stimulate residential construction, sources said.
“Right now there are so many applications… for this kind of mortgage, the banks cannot cope, a second trader source said.
“In the past six months or so, there have been very few residential projects in Poland, so soon there could be a shortage of apartments,” the trader added.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Poland, was 2,600-2,650 zloty per tonne on Friday, stable week on week.
In the secondary market, rebar prices were reported at 2,750 zloty per tonne CPT, also stable week on week.
Imported rebar offers to Poland were scarce due to the seasonal summer slowdown.
A Ukrainian supplier was offering rebar for September delivery, however, at €570 ($623) per tonne DAP border (about €600 per tonne CPT).
And Moldovan rebar was on offer in Poland at €610 per tonne CPT.
Published by: Julia Bolotova
