The Ukrainian monitoring and consulting company Ukrpromzovnishexpertyza has forecast a 3-3.5 percent year-on-year growth in Ukraine's crude steel output in 2011 to about 34 million mt, Interfax-Ukraine news agency has reported. In 2010, the country's crude steel production is expected to amount to 32.5 million mt - up 9.2 percent compared to 2009.
"As a result of the 2008-2009 crisis, Ukraine was pushed back by 10 years in terms of crude steel production: with the maximum level of steel output in 2007 amounting to nearly 43 million mt, in the crisis years of 2008-2009 the output declined by more than 30 percent to 30 million mt," Ukrpromzovnishexpertyza's director Vladimir Vlasyuk said.
Mr. Vlasyuk also noted the low capacity utilization level of the Ukrainian steelmaking facilities in the current year: now it is about 73 percent, but for the full year will be at about 70 percent, whereas globally this figure is expected to reach about 77 percent.