According to reports from the state-run newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda and several other sources, a furnace explosion occurred at the YDD ferro-silicon and microsilica production plant in Karaganda on July 20, injuring eight workers. The incident took place in one of the four furnaces currently in operation at the plant, and it remains uncertain how this will affect overall production.
Out of the eight injured workers, six have been placed in intensive care, underscoring the severity of the incident.
Authorities have established a commission to determine the cause of the explosion, and a criminal investigation has been launched to examine potential violations of labor production regulations.
According to trade data, YDD, which has 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 operating at full capacity.
A European trader informed ScrapInsight that despite the incident, the explosion is unlikely to affect ferro-silicon prices or availability in Europe.
YDD is a relatively new entrant to the ferro-silicon industry, with its first furnace becoming operational in mid-2019 and the fourth furnace starting operations in 2022.
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