WHEELING, W.Va., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wheeling-Pittsburgh
Steel Corporation announced that its continuous electric arc furnace (EAF)
completed its first heat at approximately 11:50 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 28, less
than 16 months after the project was authorized. The EAF is located at the
company's Mingo Junction, OH, Plant.
"This is a historic moment for Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel," said James G.
Bradley, Wheeling-Pittsburgh Chairman, President and CEO. "Today marks the
beginning of a new era for our Company and our employees. We had to overcome
many obstacles to reach this goal. I cannot say enough about the hard work,
determination and expertise that our employees have brought to this task.
Together with the leadership of the United Steelworkers of America and
government officials from West Virginia and Ohio, we accomplished something
that will have a positive impact on the Upper Ohio Valley for many years to
come. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together."
The Consteel(R) EAF is a state-of-the-art continuous steelmaking furnace.
Its integration into Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel's traditional blast furnace hot
end is unique in the United States.
Among the EAF's advanced features are: a continuous scrap feed conveyor; a
preheating process that heats the scrap steel used to charge the furnace to
1,000 degrees; and the ability use either 100 percent scrap or a mix of scrap
and liquid iron. The electric arc furnace will produce steel that meets all
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel's current requirements.
"We had a controlled and successful startup that produced the furnace's
first heat," said Don Keaton, Vice President of Steel Manufacturing and
Procurement. "Today's milestone was the culmination of months of preparation
and training by the Steelmaking Division, which is prepared to ramp up
production in 2005 to world class levels."
Utilization of the EAF is expected to increase over a number of months.
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel will decommission its No. 1 blast furnace, located
in Steubenville, OH, from production next year, sometime after the EAF reaches
full capacity. The Company's No. 5 blast furnace, located in Mingo Junction,
will continue to operate.
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Corporation, together with its primary subsidiary,
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, is a metal products company with 3,100
employees. Its facilities are in Steubenville, Mingo Junction, Yorkville, and
Martins Ferry, OH; Beech Bottom and Follansbee, WV; and Allenport, PA.
Statements in this release that express a belief, expectation or
intention, as well as those which are not historical fact, are forward
looking. They involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which may cause
actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. For
more information about these risks and uncertainties, please refer to
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Corporation's annual report on Form 10-K for the period
ending December 31, 2003, and other filings, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
SOURCE Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation
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