NLMK Kaluga has been certified by inspection agency Inspecta to sell rebar in Lithuania after it was found compliant with LST EN 10080 standard, Kallanish learns from the Russian mini-mill.

Kaluga, part of NLMK Group’s Russian Long Products division, obtained last year German national standard DIN 488 certification for its 10-25 mm diameter class B500B rebar, allowing it to sell rebar in Europe.

The electric arc furnace-based plant has capacities of 1.5 million tonnes/year of crude steel and 900,000 t/y of finished long products, which besides rebar include structural sections. Its location in western Russia facilitates exports to the EU.

NLMK’s Russian Long Products unit – including billet – recorded a 10% on-year increase in external shipments in the first quarter to 625,000 tonnes. This was thanks to larger exports and sales to domestic traders who were restocking ahead of the construction season.

Meanwhile, the firm’s Russian Flat Products unit – which includes slab – posted a 3% on-year increase in external sales in Q1 to 2.46 million tonnes.