Steel Times International Issue
August 2020 – Digital Issue

I will always remember the closing line in the movie, It’s Alive, a horror film about mutant babies. At least I think that’s what it was about; you can probably find out more by Googling it. Anyway, the closing quote: ‘Another one’s been born in Seattle’. Despite all the attempts of the ‘good guys’ to eradicate the problem, another mutant was born in Seattle, paving the way, perhaps, for It’s Alive 2. If it exists, I never saw it.

These days, of course, that word ‘sequel’ is old hat. Instead, we have ‘second wave’ and everybody’s talking about a second wave of corona virus and the potential of another ‘lockdown’. Here in the UK they are having localised lockdowns wherever a virus flare-up occurs, and I can’t say that anybody’s looking forward to the winter months.

The whole situation is strange at the moment, and every nation is at a different stage of development: some are easing lockdown rules, others are still fighting to keep a lid on the pandemic, and meanwhile the world carries on doing its own thing. The global steel industry is no exception. There’s good news and there’s bad news. Blast furnaces are being restarted, but some are still idled, awards are being presented (POSCO and Fives Group won big at the recent Global Metal Awards) and trade wars continue unabated – and now Indian steelmakers are getting involved. JSW Group is talking about cutting trade links with China following military tensions.

Where steel and the environment is concerned, Hybrit has announced successful fossil-free trials; leading plant builders are busy supplying steel manufacturing technology to steelmakers around the world and there are many notable examples: Berry Metal Company commissioning a state-of-the-art lime injection system for US-based Big River Steel; ThyssenKrupp announcing plans to invest in a new walking beam furnace; ArcelorMittal intending to build an EAF facility at its Calvert plant in the USA.

Life goes on and will improve as we hurtle towards the New Year when, hopefully, confidence will return, the live conference circuit will re-establish itself and steel industry executives will find time to meet with their peers to share experiences and discuss the way out of the crisis for good.