MMK hits record for HRC production in May

According to the company, in May the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) reached a record level of hot rolled coil production.

The volume was 534,174 tons at the 2000 hot rolling mill, which is the largest monthly production. The previous record was set in July 2018 with 527,955 tons.

Hot rolling mill MMK 2000 was commissioned in 1994. The equipment of the mill allows today to roll all existing steel grades. The width of the sheet varies from 760 to 1830 mm. The range of applications for the mill products includes the pipe industry, the construction industry, mechanical engineering, as well as ship and structural steel grades.

The mill was reconstructed in the mid-2000s. As part of the modernization, a fourth heating furnace was built and the mechanical equipment of the plant was updated, which made it possible to expand the range and improve the mechanical properties of the products.

The capacity of the unit also increased, reaching 6 million tons /year. Over the years of the plant's existence, about 130 million tons of HRC have been produced.

MMK reduced steel production in the first quarter of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Steel production fell -2.7% year-on-year to 3.02 million tonnes due to lower demand for steel and scheduled repairs at rolling mills.

The company expects the possibility of reducing sales volumes as business activity declines amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Russia and around the world.