After years of waiting, the Light Section Mill (LSM) of the Ajaokuta Steel Company would by December commence the production of iron rods with the arrival of over 100 billets, a core raw material delivered at the weekend.
Though no fewer than 5000 metric tons of billets is required for the initial take off for LSM of the Steel Company to commence commercial production, additional tons have been paid for and would arrive the country, in the next three months, as the supplier has assured of steady supply
The Managing Director of REPROM Company Nigeria Limited, Mr Attah Achimugu, who is a technical partner, while receiving the billets said, with the delivering of the first batch of the billets, the LSM of the steel company is set to commence production.
Attah added that the journey of the production of iron rods at the LSM section of the rolling mill started in March 2013 with the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the management of the Steel Company and REPROM, believing that with the raw material arriving now, production will soon take off.
As part of the MOU, which was signed then, he said was the rehabilitation of Thermal Power Plant and the Light Section Mill as it would enable the two segments of the company commence commercial operation.
According to him, “One of the major items we have been waiting for to enable us light the blast furnace is the billets, which have started arriving into the company. We will continue to stockpile the billets until we reach 10,000 metric tons before we can join hands with the management of Ajaokuta Steel Complex to light the furnace and commence commercial production.”
We are sourcing for the billets locally and internationally through our partnership with Greener Nations Foreign Economic Corporation.”
Achimugu, said REPROM has done the technical audit of the steel complex in 2009/2010 explaining that the management of the Steel Company and REPROM are working together to ensure the realisation of transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in the area of steel development.
The , the Sole Administrator of the Steel Company, Isah Onobere said, the arrival of the billets will paved way for trial production before the commencement of commercial production.
Onobere who was represented by the company’s Deputy General Manager in charge of material management, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, said Reprom has fulfilled the MOU signed with the steel company, urging the staff of the steel complex to brace up for full operation.
Onobere however commended the minister of steel, mineral development, Alhaji Musa Sada for supporting the company to come back to operation.
The Deputy General Manager, Light Section Mill of the Steel Company, John Bello said all the machines in the LSM were in order and ready to commence trial production insisting that REPROM will fund the Production activities in line with the MOU, adding that the LSM has the capacity to produce 405,000 metric tons of assorted finished products annually.
Source: The Nigerian Tribune
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