Acerías Paz del Río (APR), the sole integrated steelmaker in Colombia, has completed the revamp of its blast furnace. The upgrade of the facility called ‘Elena’ involved preventive maintenance and reinforcement works and the building of two oxygen plants, Kallanish learns from the company.

The project absorbed almost 120 tonnes of steel and 800t of refractory material and was completed in 65 days.

“This was a strategic project that cements our long-term vision and confirms our intention to continue being a leader of the market in Colombia,” the steelmaker’s chief executive, Fabio Galán, explains. “The upgrade of the ‘Elena’ BF, in addition to providing future security of supply, will have an impact on sustainability, reducing water consumption in our production process by nearly 15% and significantly cutting emissions through a more optimised loading system.”

The ceo confirmed that the supply of products to customers and large projects in the domestic market was not affected during the works as the company previously guaranteed 26,000t of billet for the operations of its rolling lines.

Acerías Paz del Río anticipates that during the first quarter of 2025, it will start up a photovoltaic park built at its facilities. This will provide more than 6% of the energy consumed in its processes, making it the first iron and steel company in Colombia to self-generate solar energy.

Acerías Paz del Río has an almost 30% share in Colombia’s long steel production.