ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (AMKR) decreased crude steel production in the first quarter due to the plant’s shutdown in March after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the company tells Kallanish.
Steel output was down 22.5% on-year to 930,000 tonnes. Pig iron production decreased 27% to 1 million tonnes and rolled products output fell 25% to 860,000t.
In January-February, the plant had increased steel production to 830,000t, up by 12% on-year, and pig iron was up 5.7% to 930,000t. Output of rolled products increased by 6.7% on-year to 800,000t.
In February alone, AMKR produced 410,000t of steel, 440,000t of pig iron and about 380,000t of rolled products.
In 2021, AMKR saw steel output increase by 5.2% on-year 4.92 million tonnes.
The company is currently resuming production despite continuing military hostilities in Ukraine. AMKR blew in blast furnace No.6 on Monday, after more than a month of downtime.
On Tuesday, the plant intended to produce its first 1,000t of pig iron per day, and in future to ramp up to five or six days of production per week, the head of AMKR’s military administration, Alexander Vilkul, says on social media. Coke-chemical and mining departments are also increasing output volumes, he adds.
AMKR also plans to launch blast furnace No.8 on 2 May (see Kallanish passim). By the end of April, the plant expects to bring the mining department to 100% capacity, and by 10 May it eyes to be able to export iron ore concentrate from ore processing plant No.1. The firm previously said it will increase production of iron ore concentrate to 500,000t in April in preparation for resuming steelmaking, and also aims to increase shipments of iron ore concentrate to Poland.
However, the extent of operations all depends on the military situation, as well as the restructuring of raw materials and finished products logistics, the company said.
Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria
