【Operation Rate】Statistics of Independent Electric Arc Furnace Steel Plants' 

Operation Rate in Early July

The average operating rate of 87 independent electric arc furnace steel plants in China is 67.29%, a decrease of 0.31 percentage points compared to the previous period and an increase of 24.93 percentage points year-on-year. The UHP graphite electrodes are widely used in arc furnace steelmaking. The average capacity utilization rate of these plants is 51.04%, a decrease of 0.28 percentage points compared to the previous period and an increase of 19.38 percentage points year-on-year. 

Among them, the North China region experienced a slight decline, while the Northeast and South China regions showed significant declines. The East China region saw a slight increase, and the Central and Southwest China regions had minor increases, while the remaining regions remained stable. Based on the data, the national operation rate and capacity utilization rate of independent electric arc furnaces showed a slight decrease this week. The main reasons for this were a 5-day maintenance period in a steel plant in Northeast China and a production halt for maintenance in a steel plant in South China on the 27th, with no definite date for resumption. Meanwhile, several steel plants in East China, Central China, and Southwest China chose to resume production during the week after a prolonged shutdown period. However, their production levels were not saturated, and the efficiency was average. Currently, some independent electric arc furnace plants in certain regions are facing intensified losses, leading them to reduce production time and decrease production saturation. Looking ahead to next week, steel plants in the Southwest region are planning to resume production on the 6th. With the continued high temperatures, the electricity load will keep increasing, which may result in power restrictions in some regions. Additionally, due to environmental concerns, certain regions' steel plants are planning production restrictions. The situation will be observed in the coming days.

Overall, it is expected that the operation rate and capacity utilization rate of independent electric arc furnace plants will continue to experience slight fluctuations next week. For further analysis on the operation of the electric arc furnace steel plant, welcome to contact us.

Data Source:Oilchem