A furnace explosion at the YDD ferro-silicon and microsilica production plant in Karaganda injured eight workers on July 20, according to reports from the state-run newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda and multiple other sources. The incident occurred in one of the four furnaces currently in operation at the plant, and it remains uncertain how this will affect overall production.
Of the eight workers injured, six have been placed in intensive care, highlighting the severity of the incident.
Authorities have established a commission to determine the cause of the explosion, and a criminal investigation has been initiated to examine potential violations of labor production regulations.
YDD, which boasts a nameplate capacity of 240,000 tons per year of ferro-silicon, 10,000 tons per year of ferrosilicon slag, and 18,000 tons per year of microsilica, is reportedly not operating at full capacity, according to trade data.
A European trader informed ScrapInsight that the explosion is unlikely to impact ferro-silicon prices or availability in Europe, despite the incident.
YDD is a relatively new entrant to the ferro-silicon industry, with its first furnace becoming operational in mid-2019 and the fourth furnace commencing operations in 2022.
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