In March this year, the situation of the Ukrainian steelmakers improved and their crude steel output increased by 23.4 percent compared to February to 2.9 million mt. The growth was due to the recovery of demand in the country's export markets and the increase in steel traders' purchases, due to a higher number of working days in the month and the partial resolution of the coke shortage problem, as well as due to the more favorable weather conditions. According to analysts' estimates, in March Ukrainian steel producers reached 75 percent of their capacity utilization level.
Of the seven largest Ukrainian steel producers, in March Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works (Alchevsk) and Dneprovsky Iron and Steel Works named after F. Dzerzhinsky, both subsidiaries of Ukrainian steel producer Industrial Union of Donbass (ISD), saw the biggest steel output increase (by 72 and 49.8 percent month on month), and Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol (Ilyich) registered the biggest steel output volume (525,000 mt). Meanwhile, according to the Q1 production results, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih has kept its leading position.
In Q1 2010, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih produced about 1.3 million mt of finished steel - up 25.7 percent, 1.474 million mt of crude steel - up 37 percent, 1.3 million mt of pig iron - up 35 percent, 2.354 million mt of agglomerate - up 29.6 percent, 632,000 mt of coke - up 7.6 percent, 2.06 million mt of iron ore concentrate - up 36.7 percent, and 316,000 mt of iron ore - down 4.7 percent, all compared to the same period of 2009.
During the first three months of the current year, Azovstal increased its crude steel output by 69 percent to about 1.4 million mt, saw its pig iron production rise by 67 percent to 1.19 million mt and its finished steel production increase by 70.7 percent to 1.31 million mt, all compared to the corresponding period of 2009. Meanwhile, Azovstal's metallurgical coke output registered an increase of 10.5 percent year on year to 500,500 mt.
In January-March this year, Ilyich increased its finished steel product output by 53 percent and its pipe production by 2.53 times year on year, to 990,000 mt and 18,500 mt respectively. Ilyich's crude steel production went up by 49 percent, its pig iron output rose by 47.3 percent and its agglomerate production increased by 45 percent, year on year. The respective figures in metric tons were 1.37 million, 1.15 million and 2.6 million.
During the period in question, Dneprovsky Iron and Steel Works named after F. Dzerzhinsky saw its crude steel production drop by 10.6 percent year on year to 799,000 mt and saw a fall of 6.4 percent year on year in its pig iron production to 771,000 mt. The plant also saw its output of finished steel decline by 13.8 percent to 738,000 mt and saw its agglomerate production drop by 0.4 percent to 1.183 million mt, both compared to Q1 2009.
During Q1 2010, Zaporizhstal's finished steel production decreased by six percent and its crude steel production fell by five percent year on year, to 648,000 mt and 789,000 mt respectively. Zaporizhstal's agglomerate production went down by 5.7 percent and its pig iron production declined by 2.6 percent year on year. The respective figures in metric tons were 1.163 million and 671,000.
During the period in question, Alchevsk saw its pig iron production fall by 14.9 percent, its crude steel production go down by 9.7 percent and its finished steel production decline by 12.2 percent, while its agglomerate production increased by 3.7 percent year on year. The respective figures in metric tons were 745,000, 867,000, 792,000 and 1.15 million.
In January-March this year, Yenakievo Iron and Steel Works' (EMZ) pig iron production rose by 1.3 percent to 537,400 mt, and its finished steel output climbed up by 4.1 percent to 599,300 mt, both compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, the plant's crude steel production went up by 1.2 percent year on year to 615,300 mt, but its agglomerate production decreased by 11.7 percent year on year to 459,000 mt.