Interpipe focuses on new pipes for EU market
Ukrainian pipemaker Interpipe has produced more than 200 new types of pipe products for European consumers over the past two years, Kallanish notes.
“This is the result of the work of Ukrainian engineers, who are focused on the EU, where there are many niches and unique customer requests,” the company notes. “By expanding our product portfolio, Interpipe has found new customers in areas such as micropiles, fittings, bends and even mobile cranes.”
According to the company, one of the significant challenges was the development of pipes for the production of car axles. “Research work on this project began back in 2023, when 14 pilot projects were completed. Already this year, Interpipe has confidently established itself in a small circle of manufacturers of such products,” it adds.
“Currently, we supply two of the largest European manufacturers with pipes, which after cutting to measured lengths and shot blasting are assembled into axles for trailers and semi-trailers of trucks, and we are also developing the specification for a third client,” Interpipe said.
Interpipe increased crude steel production in the first half of the year to 428,000 tonnes, up 24.4% on-year (see Kallanish passim). Six-month output of pipe rose 23.4% to 258,000t and production of railway products increased 19% to 56,000t, including railway wheels to 42,000t, up by 20%.
In January-June, Interpipe increased sales of pipe products by 35.4% compared to the same period in 2023 to 264,000t. The bulk of pipes were sent to Europe, 112,000t or 37.4% more on-year, while the US took 45% more at 38,000t. Another 45,000t of pipes were shipped to the Ukrainian market, up 2.2% on-year.
Interpipe saw revenue increase in H1 by 3.3% on-year to $535.77 million, while net profit was up 5% to $128.74m (see Kallanish passim). Ebitda grew 26.7% to $130.27m.
Interpipe previously said it was trying to reach pre-war production levels of 70,000 tonnes/month compared to 50,000 t/m of production currently.
Exports account for 80-85% of the company’s production volumes, and for some product groups this figure exceeds 90%. The main markets are the EU, USA and the Middle East.
Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria
Interpipe tests rail deliveries via Poland
Ukraine’s Interpipe is testing a new logistics route for delivering products to EU countries using rail and road transport, in particular through a terminal in Poland, the company confirms to Kallanish.
“Interpipe is currently carrying out test shipments of pipes by rail cars to a terminal with a wide-gauge rail track in the polish city of Chelm,” the company’s procurement and logistics director, Oleksiy Yanovsky, tells Ukraine’s Centre for Transport Strategies (CFTS). “The products are then reloaded into trucks and delivered to their final destination in Europe.”
Interpipe has also very carefully studied the possibility of using the Danube for deliveries to EU countries. “However, unfortunately, the current level of service does not allow it to compete with direct road transport either from an economic point of view or from the point of view of transit time,” he adds.
“This method is relatively economically justified, given the current level of rates for cars, but has a number of disadvantages, in particular, the issue of combating rust on the surface of pipes arises,” Yanovsky claims. “However, it is unlikely this method of delivery will be acceptable for railway products due to the extreme sensitivity of these products in storage and transportation conditions. For railway wheels and wheel pairs, direct road transport will probably remain the most appropriate method of delivery to customers in Europe.”
Earlier, Interpipe said it was trying to reach pre-war production levels through the development of its Interpipe Niko Tube product range (see Kallanish passim). Pre-war output was some 70,000 tonnes/month compared to 50,000 t/m today.
Interpipe produced almost 43,500t of rail wheels in January-June, a significant on-year increase (see Kallanish passim).
In 2023, it supplied 387,000t of pipe and 95,000t of railway products.
Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria
