Smederevo steel plant to resume operating in late June

Smederevo steel plant to resume operating in late June

BELGRADE -- Smederevo's Železara steel plant will begin operating on June 29 when one of the two furnaces will be restored, the RTS reported.

Due to the lack of raw materials, one furnace in the plant has not been operating for years now, while the other has been working with reduced capacities as of May 2.

Raw materials will be delivered to the Smederevo plant and the preparations for blast furnace ignition will begin on Saturday, June 28.

The authorities have been looking for a strategic partner for the Smederevo steel plant since February 2012 when U.S. Steel sold the company back to the Serbian government, and so far two tenders failed.

The list of potential investors who have visited the plant since the beginning of the year includes companies from the EU and companies from the U.S. and Russia have also expressed interest in the project, the government said.