It is reported that Ukraine's Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant, known before as mini-mill ISTIL, has temporarily stopped its operations due to a scrap shortage. Meanwhile, the mill will continue its billet sales.
The plant expects to restart its operations at the end of the current month, when it will have stored a sufficient quantity of raw material. In April 2009, scrap deliveries to Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant amounted to 30,800 mt, i.e. 39.5 percent of its 78,000 mt estimated needs. As of May 1, the mill's scrap inventories amounted to 10,800 mt.
In January-April 2009, Donetsk Electrometallurgical Plant decreased its output of finished steel products by 41.8 percent to 205,000 mt, and saw a reduction in its crude steel production of 41.1 percent to 208,000 mt, both compared to the same period last year.