Bolivia's El Mutún Steel Complex (ESM) has reached a significant milestone with the successful production of its first billets at its steel converter plant. This achievement follows the earlier production of its initial rebars and wire rods in January, which were made using outsourced billets as feedstock.
Jorge Alvarado Rivas, president of ESM, highlighted the importance of this production milestone in the start-up process of the complex, noting that it marks the successful operation of critical equipment such as the induction furnace, LF furnace, and continuous casting system. He emphasized that while all complex equipment had been previously tested under unloaded conditions, they are now fully operational under loaded conditions, marking the transition of the steel complex into its active phase.
The El Mutún Steel Complex spans a comprehensive production chain, from iron ore mining to rolling operations. The complex is equipped with plants for iron ore concentration, pelletizing, direct reduction (DRI), steel conversion, and rolling, along with an energy center and ancillary services.
Once fully operational, ESM is projected to produce 200,000 mt per year of rebar and wire rod, which is expected to reduce Bolivia's steel imports by half, providing a significant boost to the country’s domestic steel production capacity.
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