Algoma Steel has temporarily paused production at its electric arc furnace (EAF) in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario due to issues with a turbine in the Lake Superior Generating Station that caused a power outage. The company expects the outage could last up to 21 days.
The company says the furnace was automatically taken offline after an abnormality was detected, a problem it believes resides in the generating station. While operations are down, the company will conduct a maintenance outage that was originally planned for later in the quarter, which will result in less downtime in the long run.
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), which helps manage the power system in Ontario, is aware and trying to help find a solution and in the meantime, finishing operations will continue. There is no expectation that customer orders will experience a disruption, though there may be challenges if the outage persists beyond the estimated three weeks.
