Photo by: Bloomberg
Evraz Highveld Steel & Vanadium achieved across-the-board production improvements in the fourth quarter ended December 31, citing improved efficiencies, ore quality and raw product availability.
The company lifted the quarter-on-quarter production of hot metal by 9% to 167 975 t in the three months by reducing the number of operational furnaces, which led to improved efficiency owing to a better kiln-to-furnace ratio.
Operational improvements in the steelmaking division resulted in increased cast slab production, from 141 486 t in the third quarter, to 160 215 t in the last three months of the year.
The flat products division, meanwhile, increased output by 118% quarter-on-quarter, owing to improved cast slab availability, producing 43 367 t over the period.
Fines ore production continued to increase after the maintenance shutdown at the mining plant, rising by 4% to 196 431 t in the last three months of the year.
Similarly, vanadium slag and ferrovanadium production increased by 17% to 1.12-million tons over the period owing to maintenance performed in the third quarter.
The company added that pricing for vanadium slag and fines ore showed a decrease as a result of lower global ferrovanadium pricing, pushing the weighted average selling price down 2% to R268/kg.