Two steelmakers in Ukraine have placed their plants in conservation mode. This comes after the country’s invasion by Russian armed forces in the early hours of Feb. 24. Metinvest Holding announced that it would suspend operations for seven days throughout its hot end at the Azovstal plant as well as at the plant’s coke shop. […]
Christopher Rivituso
Nickel prices jump on Russia moves while LME stock levels continue to fall
The London Metal Exchange’s (LME) nickel price shot up by more than $1,000/mt on Friday Feb 25, a rise that one analyst directly connected to Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. The official, three-month nickel bid price reached $25,625 per metric ton on Feb. 24, The price increased 4.3% on the day from $24,575/mt, data from the […]
No respite for European zinc smelters in face of high energy costs
European zinc producers will continue to face volatile energy costs until more renewable sources and LNG gas become more accessible, industry watchers said. “Zinc smelters are really struggling as electricity is a bigger proportion of the cost compared with copper or nickel smelters,” one analyst told MetalMiner. This has led to rising zinc prices. Renewables […]
Russian invasion of Ukraine could have big impact on NLMK and steel buyers globally
An invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces could negatively impact Novolipetsk Steel’s (NLMK) export sales, due to possible sanctions by Western nations, one industry watcher told MetalMiner on Jan. 31. Steel distributors in Europe have become hesitant about what an invasion could mean in the event that they purchase steel from NLMK, the analyst […]
British Steel moving to EAF production to meet carbon emissions targets
British Steel aim to slash their carbon emissions 82% by 2035. This would fall in line with the UK’s commitments to the Paris Agreement and the country’s own carbon reduction targets, a company official said on Jan. 25. One way the company plans to achieve the decreases involves a new electric furnace in two to […]
European steel prices at a crossroads
Healthy construction demand and increased activity from the auto sector are likely to push up northern European prices for hot rolled coil in January and into February, following decreases from the previous month, sources stated. Mills are now transacting material at around €900-920 ($1,020-1,045) per metric ton exw, down from previous transactions €980-1,000 ($1,110-1,135) heard […]
Thyssenkrupp continues to explore steel unit sale
Thyssenkrupp’s prospective plans to separate Thyssenkrupp Steel (TKS) into a standalone company indicate a plan to sell it, industry watchers said, though they questioned what kind of price the German conglomerate would ultimately receive. “Everybody knows that it has been an exceptional year,” one trader said about steel prices and demand. Are you under pressure […]
NLMK to boost Mill 2000’s capacity by 7% after reheating furnace overhaul
Novolipetsk Iron & Steel (NLMK) is undertaking at its main production site in Russia upgrade work on one of the slab reheating furnaces, which will see hot rolling Mill 2000’s capacity rise by 7%, the steelmaking group said. The planned work will push Mill 2000’s annual rolling capacity up by about to approximately 6.23 million […]
European HRC prices fall as auto sales slump
Lower auto sales in Europe have put West European hot rolled coil prices under pressure. However, demand from construction is nonetheless helping to support prices for the flat-rolled product. “People want to invest their money into something,” one trader source told MetalMiner. We’re offering timely emails with exclusive analyst commentary and some best practice advice. […]
Metals industry to play major role in curbing carbon emissions
Metals will play a significant role in helping governments and companies to address climate issues by aiding the transition to cleaner energy and ultimately decreasing carbon emissions, industry watchers said. “The metals industry is crucial to facilitating this,” one analyst told MetalMiner. “If you want energy transition, it is not going to happen without metals […]