Ukrainian mining and steel producing group Metinvest has announced its operational results for the first quarter of the current year.
Accordingly, in the first quarter this year, Metinvest’s total output of pig iron increased by three percent year on year to 2.15 million mt, amid production growth of 123,000 mt at Ilyich Steel. The latter was mainly due to a low-base effect caused by the shutdown of blast furnace No. 3 for a scheduled overhaul in early 2020. At Azovstal, production decreased by 62,000 mt, due to the shutdown of blast furnaces for a short repair in March this year.
In the first quarter, Metinvest’s crude steel output totaled 2.13 million mt, decreasing by two percent year on year, due to a 64,000 decrease in production at Azovstal amid the scheduled overhaul of basic oxygen furnace No. 1 in March this year. In addition, Ilyich Steel’s crude steel output increased by 23,000 mt, due to an increase in pig iron output at the plant.
In the given quarter, Metinvest’s production of merchant semi-finished products amounted to 765,000 mt, increasing by 20 percent year on year.
In the given period, the group’s production of finished steel rose by four percent year on year to 1.63 million mt. In particular, its flats production increased by 92,000 mt year on year to 1.38 million mt, due to higher production of hot rolled coil following the reconstruction of the hot strip mill 1700 at Ilyich Steel, and also due to greater cold rolled and galvanized steel product output.
In the mining sector, Metinvest’s total iron ore concentrate output rose by two percent compared to the same period of the previous year to 7.79 million mt. This was due to higher ore production at its three ore mining and processing facilities, the effect of operational improvements, and the use of third-party ore for processing at Central GOK. Meanwhile, the group’s output of merchant iron ore products rose by three percent year on year to 4.83 million mt, while the output of iron ore pellets rose by 29 percent year on year to 1.97 million mt in the given quarter.
Metinvest’s coking coal concentrate output in the first quarter this year rose by 18 percent year on year to 990,000 mt.