[SMM Iron & Steel] Kazakhstan Coal Transshipment via Russian Ports Surges 60.2% in Q1 2026

[Steel Mill Maintenance] Liaoning Fushun Steel plans to dismantle and phase out one 580 blast furnace on May 8 and phase out one 850 blast furnace by month-end of May, with an estimated total hot metal impact of 3,500 mt. At that time, one 1400 blast furnace is expected to be commissioned and start production on May 25, with an estimated daily hot metal production impact of 5,000 mt. [SMM Steel]

ArcelorMittal Industeel commissioned a new vertical continuous casting machine (CCM) at its Le Creusot plant in France, backed by a €52 million investment. The new facility enables the production of thin slabs, eliminating an intermediate rolling stage to increase efficiency and reduce production lead times. Initial production capacity is set at 15,000 metric tons per year, with planned expansion to 25,000 metric tons. The commissioning, active as of April 2026, is expected to reduce CO2 emissions at the site by approximately 10%.

In mid-April 2026, HyIron Green Technologies successfully completed an industrial-scale pilot test at the Oshivela project in Namibia, converting low-grade iron ore into climate-neutral direct reduced iron (DRI) using an electrically powered hydrogen kiln. The test utilized 80 tons of ore and demonstrated the viability of using renewable energy to process lower-quality material into high-purity feed. This project is a key component of Namibia's strategy to leverage its solar and wind resources to become a hub for the global green steel supply chain.