AMSA to convert one Vanderbijlpark blast furnace into an electric arc furnace by 2028

VANDERBIJLPARK - ArcelorMittal South Africa CEO Kobus Verster has confirmed that the company will be converting one of its three blast furnaces into an electric arc furnace (EAF) within the next four years. The company currently has two blast furnaces in operation at its Vanderbijlpark facility. According to Verster, the newly converted electric arc furnace will form a key part of AMSA’s decarbonisation plans up to 2030, and will be supported by a new 200MW on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant on which construction is expected to start later this year. Venter says that the blast furnaces were by far the single biggest cause of AMSA’s carbon emissions. Between the electric arc furnace and the solar PV plant, he said the company was aiming to reduce its carbon emissions by up to 25% by 2030. AMSA still has to submit the environmental-impact assessment for the project, which Verster said would be done during the course of this year. In addition, approval of the increased notified maximum demand from State-owned electricity provider Eskom also needs to be obtained.