Second high furnace start in Zelezara Smederevo - Job for 250 new employees

(Photo: zelsd.rs)

Member of the Supervisory Board at Zelezara Smederevo, Bojan Bojkovic said for Radio Beograd 1 that putting the second high furnace into operation is bringing significant production increase in Zelezara as well as employment of 200 to 250 new employees.

Bojan Bojkovic confirmed that preparations for the second high furnace are starting on Wednesday, October 7.

- Steel from the second high furnace with the capacity of 75.000 tons, will run October 9. The furnace was overhauled in the meantime so that costs per ton of steel will be lower although production increased significantly. Thus, business restructuring process at Zelezara will end in a sense of maximal cost reduction – Bojkovic said.

Bojkovic estimated that steel market in Europe is at the moment “problematic” having in mind large quantities of steel which are coming from China, Ukraine, Russia and Brazil which decreased the final products price for USD 100 per ton while production costs remained at the same level.

With respect to that, Bojkovic said that Zelezara expected that production profitability will be achieved last month but that this trend slowed down opportunities at the steel market.

Investigation in Zelezara still in progress

September 2, police went into Zelezara Smederevo to check the work of Logistics and Transport Department. When asked whether investigation has still been in progress, Bojkovic confirmed and added that investigation had positive effects on business of Zelezara.