Ukrainian steelmaker Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol, a subsidiary of Ukrainian steel group Metinvest, resumed production operations at its blast furnace No. 2 on May 19 after the completion of repair work.
During May 9-18, the blast furnace No. 2 was idled due to a breakdown of the furnace and damage to the water-cooling system. According to preliminary estimates, in May the company will produce 405,000-415,000 of pig iron, down 11 percent from the original target. At the same time, the company plans to compensate for the May output decrease with increased production in the remainder of the year, given the additional orders received for semi-finished steel products from domestic steel producer Azovstal, which is also a subsidiary of Metinvest.