The Brazilian steel and iron ore producer CSN has initiated a prescheduled maintenance and revamping of its blast furnace number two (BF-02) at the Volta Redonda plant in Rio de Janeiro. The maintenance is expected to conclude in 2025 at an estimated cost of $260 million, extending the equipment's useful life by eight years.
During the temporary stoppage of BF-02, which has a pig iron production capacity of 1.5 million metric tons per year, CSN is expected to increase its acquisitions of slabs from domestic alternatives like Ternium or ArcelorMittal Pecem, or from imports. The Volta Redonda plant has a total pig iron production capacity of 5.08 million metric tons per year.