Smederevo Steel Plant increases export due to quota redistribution

Last week, the European Commission increased quotas for the export of some types of steel from Serbia to the EU market. Brussels has redistributed quotas for steel import, which have so far been intended for Russia and Belarus.

Vladan Mihailovic, Executive Director for production at the Hbis Serbia steel plant, has told RTS that because of that decision, they will be able to export 30,000 tons more on a quarterly basis.

The quotas were introduced in 2019 and applied to all HBIS products.

These quotas include an increase in the volume of the export of hot-rolled products, while the quotas for cold-rolled and tinplate products remain the same.

„That means that instead of 120,000 tons on a quarterly basis, we will be able to export 150,000 tons,“ Mihailovic emphasized.

According to him, HBIS has the potential to increase production.

“We are focusing on projects to replace expensive natural gas with the blast furnace gas we produce in our blast furnace. We cannot influence energy product prices on the global market, but we can improve energy efficiency and substitute gas. The big problem is the supply of coke. We are also working with our suppliers outside Ukraine and Russia, and we are trying to find new markets for the supply of coal, which is an important energy source for blowing into our blast furnace,“ says Mihailovic.

Izvor: RTS

Foto: Pixabay