Ukraine's Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant, the mini-mill previously known as ISTIL, has announced that, following a two-month stoppage, on September 9 it has restarted its production operations.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, in September Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant plans to produce 63,000 mt of steel products, of which 50,000 mt will be exported, while in October the plant's output is planned to reach 90,000 mt. After this, the company plans to reach its full capacity utilization rate and to produce about 95,000 mt of steel products. Initially the plant will produce common steel grades, and after a few months will increase its output of high value-added steel products (alloyed steel grades) to 30 percent.
In August 2009, A1, a company of Russian investment conglomerate Alfa Group, took over the management of the plant from Russian steel producer Estar Holding, and allowed Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant to reach agreements with its creditors and debtors, to receive floating funds, to restart scrap and other raw material acquisitions, and to efficiently cooperate with its partners, traders and other customers.
"We have serious plans. We will develop Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant and strengthen its positions in the market. This is the best Ukrainian electrometallurgical plant with outstanding prospects. As an investment company, we intend to make them extremely promising and to increase maximally the cost of Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant," A1's managing director Alexander Babikov stated.
Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant, has a capacity of more than one million mt of crude steel per year, and specializes in the production of round billets of special grades, and also in the production of continuous cast round and square billets.