Russia’s Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) reached record hot-rolled coil production in May, the company says.

The volume amounted to 534,174 tonnes at hot rolling mill 2000, which is the largest monthly production since it was launched, Kallanish notes. The previous record was set in July of 2018 with 527,955t.

The MMK 2000 hot rolling mill was commissioned in 1994. The mill equipment allows for the rolling of all existing steel grades today. The width of the sheet varies from 760-1830mm. The range of application of mill products includes pipe production, construction industry, mechanical engineering, and ship and structural steel grades.

In the mid-2000s, the mill was reconstructed. As part of the upgrade, the fourth heating furnace was built and the mechanical equipment of the plant was updated, which made it possible to produce a wider assortment and improved the mechanical properties of the products. 

The unit’s productivity also increased, which reached 6 million t/year. Over the years that the mill has existed, nearly 130mt of HRC have been produced.

MMK decreased steel production in the first quarter of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic (see Kallanish passim). Crude steelmaking fell by -2.7% on-year to 3.02mt due to decreased steel demand and planned repairs at rolling mills.

The company is reducing output further in the second quarter. It sees the possibility of sales volumes declining as business activity wanes on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic in Russia and globally.