An important milestone has been reached on the Whyalla Steelworks, which could be back up and running within days.
GFG Alliance has issued an update saying hot molten material is now flowing from a normal tap hole on the blast furnace instead of the emergency tap hole.
The successful switch was made around midday on Monday, 24 June.
Liberty Primary Steel and Mining Australia CEO Sandip Biswas says expert crews are working on bringing the blast furnace back to normal production.
“The connection with a usual taphole on the blast furnace is a positive and important step on the difficult journey back to high-quality steelmaking,” Mr Biswas says.
Member for Giles Eddie Hughes says Whyalla was rocked by the closure of the Steelworks in March.
“When you get a lot of shift workers having to take a 30 per cent pay cut, that’s a hard hit to workers, a hard hit to families and broader community,” the MP says.
The blast furnace is anticipated to be brought back on wind in the coming days.
