The Ukrainian Ministry of Industrial Policy has stated that Ukrainian steel producers are planning to put a total of ten open hearth furnaces (OHF) out of production by 2011.
In particulr, Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works plans to close six OHFs, while Azovstal Iron and Steel Works and Donetsk Iron and Steel Works plan to close two OHFs each. All these mills are to switch to the oxygen converter method in steel production.