[Ferro-Alloys.com] Integrated steelmaker ArcelorMittal has begun the restarting process of its No 4 blast furnace at Indiana Harbor West, just weeks after another blast furnace at a different location was idled after it suffered an explosion and fire.

The 1.56mn metric ton (t)/yr blast furnace at Indiana Harbor was idled in March as the US economy shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Blast furnace D at Burns Harbor suffered an explosion and fire on 16 July, forcing ArcelorMittal to idle the facility. The facility will require "a couple of weeks" of repairs, an ArcelorMittal spokesman said.

The Indiana Harbor restart comes as integrated steelmaker US Steel has fired up three idled blast furnaces since June, totaling 4.06mn short tons (st)/yr of pig iron capacity.

US Steel said today two idled blast furnaces — the 1.5mn short ton (st)/yr No 4 at Gary Works, Indiana and the 1.4mn st/yr blast furnace A at Granite City, Illinois — will remain off line the rest of 2020 to balance supply with demand.

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