industry
Novi Otonik reports record iron output
The mills beat their 1970s peak, though the group warns that gas prices remain the constraint.
The Novi Otonik mills reported their highest annual iron output on record this week, surpassing the peak set in the 1970s, according to figures released by Maj Holdings.
The group credited the rebuilt No. 3 blast furnace and a steady gas supply through the Trans-Republic Pipeline. It warned, however, that output could not rise much further while the pipeline’s winter tariff remains linked to the Kaskivian spot price, and that National Energy had already signalled a higher schedule for the first quarter.
The works employ about 24,000 people in the district. The local union said the record had been met with higher overtime, not new hires.