Most Ukrainian metallurgists resume production despite hostilities

The Ukrainian pipe plant Interpipe is the last company to resume production at its facilities in Dnipro, Nikopol and Novomoskovsk.

“First of all, finishing workshops will be launched to refine pipe semi-finished products, railway wheels and wheel sets,” the company said in a statement. "The bulk of the finished product will be exported to the European market."

At the end of March, the company began to ship by road to Europe products produced before the start of the Russian invasion, the report said. “The capacity of logistics channels in Ukraine is limited, so the volumes of cargo cannot be compared with pre-war volumes,” adds Interpipe.

ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih (AMKR) plans to launch blast furnace No. 8 on May 2, said Mauro Longobardo, General Director of AMKR, in the company's corporate newspaper.

“We have already resumed operation of blast furnace No. 6, which will go down in history, as we did during the war,” he notes. "Besides, by the end of April, the plant expects to bring the mining department to 100% capacity, and by May 10 it will be able to export iron ore concentrate from GOK No. 1."

Longobardo says the scale of operations depends on the military situation, as well as restructuring the logistics of raw materials and finished products. “A mining workshop has been launched at the plant, the work of the coke production is being supported,” he adds.

Metinvest's Zaporizhstal has already launched blast furnaces #3 and #4 after a downtime (see Callanish's passage). Production was also restored at subsidiaries Zaporizhkoks, Zaporizhvognetrov and ZLMZ.

Pellet manufacturer Ferrexpo continues to manufacture and ship products by rail to customers in Europe.

Seamless stainless pipe maker Centravis has resumed single-shift production but has run into logistical problems with deliveries.

However, the DMZ is still idle, as are the Mariupol plants named after Ilyich and Metinvest's Azovstal.

Source: Callanish