Elkem accelerates maintenance in Iceland

Reykjavik, Iceland – Elkem has decided to accelerate maintenance at its plant in Iceland. The accelerated maintenance will curtail production by temporarily shutting down one furnace at the ferrosilicon plant in Grundartangi, about 40 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik. The decision will have no impact on customers or employees.
“We continue to utilize a period with somewhat lower sales to bring forward planned maintenance and improvement work to position for the future, now at our plant in Iceland. This will enable lower production costs once stronger market conditions return,” says Elkem’s senior vice president for Silicon Products, Inge A. Grubben-Strømnes.

Elkem will invest a total of around NOK 100 million in maintenance and improvement at the plant. As a result, the plant will have one furnace out for approximately ten weeks in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The core product at Elkem in Iceland is ferrosilicon (FeSi), which is a key material for the steel industry. FeSi is either used for refining of steel or as an ingredient to reach predetermined qualities. Elkem has always produced standard FeSi in Iceland, but in recent years, the plant has expanded its portfolio of specialty FeSi to meet increased market demand for such products.

Elkem has previously curtailed furnaces also in Thamshavn and Rana in Norway due to maintenance and improvement work. These are now back to normal production.