Massive Blast Furnace Back Online in East Chicago

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Officials say a $70 million project in East Chicago to repair what is known as the largest blast furnace in the Western Hemisphere is complete. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report ArcelorMittal Americas Chief Executive Officer Louis Schorsch says the No. 7 blast furnace at ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor East will produce about 1,000 additional tons of steel per day as it continues to fully ramp-up. The furnace was built in 1980 and in all, can produce up to 11,500 tons of raw steel each day.

Schorsch added “it's hard to overstate the importance of this No. 7 furnace to us.”

The company says repairs wrapped up about a week ahead of schedule.

The complex employs nearly 5,000 workers.

Source: The Times of Northwest Indiana