Metinvest in 2020 increased steel production by 9% in 2020

The largest mining and metallurgical holding of Ukraine Metinvest, by the end of 2020, increased steel production by 9% compared to 2019 - up to 8.268 million tons, pig iron - by 7%, up to 8.475 million tons, total coke production - by 3%, up to 4.808 million tons.

According to a press release from the parent company Metinvest B.V. on the results of operating activities for 2020 on Friday, the group in the fourth quarter of 2020 reduced the production of pig iron by 9% compared to the previous quarter - to 2.105 million tons due to a decrease in production at both Mariupol mills.

The decrease at the Ilyich Steel Plant amounted to 137 thousand tons due to the shutdown of blast furnace No. 3 for overhaul in November 2020, and at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works - 63 thousand tons as a result of a decrease in the intensification of the blast-furnace smelting process due to the planned repair of the oxygen block of the air separation installation and change of the charge component.

Steel production in the fourth quarter of 2020 decreased by 3% compared to the previous quarter - to 2.118 million tonnes - mainly due to the repair of converter # 2 at Azovstal in September-October 2020. At the same time, the volume of steel production at MMK remained practically unchanged compared to the previous quarter due to the redirection of liquid iron to steel production.

In 2020, pig iron production increased by 7% compared to last year due to increased production at both Mariupol mills. Thus, the increase at Azovstal amounted to 328 thousand tons as a result of the launch of a high-performance DP-3 after overhaul with modernization in June 2019, as well as the planned overhaul of DP-4 in the fourth quarter of 2019.

In addition, MMK's pig iron production increased by 219 thousand tonnes mainly due to the shutdown of blast furnaces No. 5 and 3 for scheduled repairs in 2019.

Steel production in 2020 increased by 9% year-on-year mainly due to an increase in production at MMK by 512 thousand tonnes due to the redistribution of pig iron in favor of steel production. The increase in production at Azovstal by 178 thousand tons was caused by an increase in pig iron production.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the production of semi-finished goods decreased by 17% compared to the previous quarter - to 816 thousand tons. At the same time, the decrease in pig iron production amounted to 107 thousand tons as a result of redirecting liquid iron to steel production at MMK, and marketable slab - 57 thousand tons due to the redistribution of slab in favor of flat-rolled products. In 2020, the production of commercial semi-finished products increased by 5% compared to 2019 - to 3.313 million tons - due to an increase in the volume of commercial slabs at both Mariupol plants by 329 thousand tons due to the presence of demand. As a result, the production of pig iron decreased by 14% compared to 2019 and the composition