Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) launched its blast furnace 1 recently. According to the company’s PR Department, the furnace was first placed into the reserve category after a first-class overhaul but was later re-launched because of the need to give an overhaul to the second blast furnace. So blast furnace 1 is now gradually going back to its full production capacity, which means MMK is currently using seven out of eight blast furnaces altogether.

In addition to re-launching blast furnace 1, the enterprise also started using its coke furnace battery 3. The battery had been undergoing repairs since December 2008.

MMK’s blast furnace 1 was fully re-done in the late nineties. As a result of the reconstruction, its volume increased up to 1,370 cubic meters, whereas its capacity reached 1.2 million tons a year.