ArcelorMittal Poland has begun maintenance and upgrade works on blast furnace No.3 at its Dabrowa Gornicza plant to prepare the unit for a potential restart when market conditions improve. The furnace was idled in September last year due to challenging market conditions.
The project, costing nearly USD 16 mln, aims to extend the furnace’s operating campaign by about four years. According to CEO Wojciech Koszuta, the restart timing will depend on market developments, though the company is targeting a possible return to production in the spring.
The works focus mainly on the blast furnace hearth, including relining with new refractory materials and modernization of the cooling system. Components worn during the previous campaign will also be refurbished, while the structure supporting the tuyere platform will undergo a full renovation.
Around 20 contractors are currently involved in the works. The shutdown period allows the company to carry out repairs and upgrades that are difficult to perform during continuous furnace operation, the company said.
Last year, the company said it would idle blast furnace No.3 at the Dabrowa Gornicza site starting in September 2025, citing deteriorating market conditions that made operating two blast furnaces economically unfeasible. The company pointed to high energy costs, EU-only CO2 emissions trading obligations, weak trade safeguards and rising low-priced imports, which have significantly pressured margins.
According to the company, imports account for around 80pct of Poland’s apparent steel consumption, with flat products such as HRC reaching about 95pct. Import volumes have been rising sharply from Ukraine and Serbia, as well as from Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. Blast furnace No.3 was previously idled in October 2022 and restarted in January 2023.
ArcelorMittal Poland is the country’s largest steel producer and part of the global ArcelorMittal Group, producing semi-finished, long, flat and specialty steel products across six sites in Poland.
