Whyalla's steelworks has been offline for more than 50 days amid major problems with its blast furnace, fuelling concerns among some of the city's residents about the plant's long-term viability.
The blast furnace at Whyalla 's Steelworks has been out of operation since mid-March.The steelwork's owner GFG Alliance estimates the furnace will be working again by late May.
"Each time we go and introduce another wind tuyere … is the technical term, it's a hole, basically, that hot wind blows into the furnace through, you have to take the furnace offline for a short period of time to bring that wind tuyere back online, and by doing that you slightly chill the furnace again, so it's that sort of one step back," he said.The ABC understands the initial estimate was to have the furnace running by April 24.
"Where the contracts have required that to happen, they've been suspended, or services have just not been acquired," he said.Other businesses in Whyalla have also felt the impact, including Kate Dickeson, who runs a health food shop and cafe in the main street."I also have family members affected by it so, we knew what was coming."
GFG Alliance is confident the furnace will be fixed and estimate it will be back online by mid-to-late May. But he is under increasing pressure to repay debts related to his company's European operations, with international media reporting that administrators had threatened to seize Mr Gupta's assets.
"As a sovereign nation, COVID showed us we need steel that is produced in Whyalla because the steel we produce – long products, construction steel – isn't produced anywhere else in Australia.Cherilee Bagshaw, who runs a nail salon in Whyalla, said there have been many promises made to the town, but now it was time to act.
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