The operator of Whyalla's steelworks says it has restarted steel production after the plant was out of action for months. GFG Alliance says while the blast furnace is running at half its capacity, the resumption of steelmaking is a "significant milestone" in its efforts to "rescue the plant".
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00:00Steelworks have resumed steelmaking after being closed down for four months according
00:07to its operator, GFG Alliance.
00:09So GFG does say though that the furnace is currently operating at half capacity and it
00:14still concedes that there's a lot of work to be done with other issues yet to be resolved
00:19around the plant, but GFG says that the development represents a significant milestone for it
00:26in its return to steelmaking at the site.
00:28So GFG was unable previously to make steel at the Wyala plant from mid-March until early
00:34July when there were maintenance issues with its blast furnace and it's been offline again
00:39since August and after there was unwanted material that had been found in it.
00:45Now the Steelworks has though, it's been plagued really by problems throughout 2024.
00:49There was issues seen with repaying royalty payments to the government and it was back
00:53in November that GFG secured $150 million to repay suppliers as well, but they have
01:00now cast their first steel at the Steelworks in four months and Chief Manufacturing Officer
01:05Tien Victor, he says that they've expressed optimism despite knowing that there is still
01:10a lot of work to be done.
01:12Now he says that he's confident that they'll be returning to full capacity and also to
01:17stability, but that that will take some time.