“We have decided to utilise a period with somewhat lower sales to bring forward planned maintenance and improvement work to position for the future. This will enable lower production costs once stronger market conditions return,” says Elkem’s senior vice president for Silicon Products, Inge A. Grubben-Strømnes.

Elkem will invest a total of around NOK 200 million in maintenance and improvement at the two smelters. As a result, Thamshavn and Rana will each have one furnace out for approximately two months. Elkem’s plant in Thamshavn mainly produces silicon while the plant in Rana mainly produces ferrosilicon.

“Elkem is well-positioned with long-term power contracts securing the company’s electricity consumption in Norway at competitive rates. The current market uncertainty underlines why it is so important for the industry to secure competitive and predictable framework conditions through changing business cycles,” Grubben-Strømnes adds.