OREANDA-NEWS. KOKS Group’s Tulachermet pig iron plant has idled its blast furnace #2 (BF#2) on May 28, 2013 for a period of up to 35 days for maintenance works. The shutdown will result in 30% decrease in Tulachermet’s production capacity and 63 thousand tonnes loss in basic pig iron output.

 Vyacheslav Mororzov, Chief Commercial Officer of KOKS Group commented:

 “We have chosen the most advantageous time to start the maintenance works. Currently there is some kind of market stagnation and, as a result, reduction of pig iron prices. That’s why the shutdown should not affect Tulachermet’s and KOKS Group’s overall margins. Meanwhile, production efficiency of BF#2 will increase after its maintenance and we shall be able to return to the market with additional output volumes when demand for pig iron improve.”