Metinvest Group’s KAMETSTAL plant, which was built at the facilities of Dnipro Metallurgical Plant (DMK, Kamenskoye, Dnipro Oblast), has completed a 45-day overhaul of its BOF shop with a mixer relining without interrupting the production process.
According to the company, after the overhaul, the mixer was put back into operation, the unit was completely re-lined and its important equipment was repaired.
It is also specified that during the 45-day overhaul, which started in June, more than 550 cubic meters of refractory masonry of the mixer body were completely replaced, key equipment was restored, and the system was comprehensively repaired and maintained.
The mixer with a capacity of 2.5 thousand tons is designed for the technological preparation of liquid iron before it is fed to the BOF shop and poured into the converters, which includes temperature equalization and chemical composition averaging.
Upon completion of all repairs, the BOF Shop specialists, together with the repair contractors, checked the operation of all components and mechanisms in the commissioning mode and began technological preparations for filling the unit. On July 31, the mixer accepted the first liquid iron.
Andrey Karzin, Deputy Head of the BOF Shop for Engineering, noted that the team efforts of contractors, specialists from Metinvest Promservice’s metallurgical equipment repair shop and shop repair services have successfully completed one of the largest overhauls of equipment this year, the reliability of which is crucial for the stable and efficient operation of the enterprise.
“Throughout the repair of the mixer, the production of high-quality steel in the shop did not stop – pig iron from the BF ladles was poured directly into the BOF ladles,” the deputy head emphasized.
“KAMETSTAL was established on the basis of Dnipro Coke and Chemical Plant (DKKhZ) and Central Iron and Steel Works (DMK).
According to the 2020 report of Metinvest Group’s parent company, Metinvest B.V. (Netherlands) owned 100% of the shares in DCCP.
On July 22, 2024, Ukrvinprom Corporation, as the official partner-ambassador of the Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin and its cultural center La Cité du Vin, opened the registration of applications of Ukrainian producers.
The selection of official wine ambassadors of Ukraine is being held for the third time within the framework of the international project “Ukrainian Wine – Part of the World Cultural Heritage of La Cité du Vin” initiated by Ukrvinprom Corporation and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The wines that receive the status of official ambassadors of the country become part of the collection of La Cité du Vin, which is the world’s largest wine museum. There, they are offered for tasting to visitors and invited to prestigious special events. For example, the winners of the 2023 selection were presented under the patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron at the annual Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris exhibitions, at the Sorbonne University, and at many diplomatic events.
Volodymyr Kucherenko, CEO of Ukrvinprom Corporation, says: “The mission of the Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin and the cultural center La Cité du Vin is to protect, present and learn about cultural, historical and intellectual information about wines from different countries and regions of the world. They truly strive to bring this living, universal heritage to the widest possible audience. By joining the center, each country significantly strengthens its international image as a wine-producing country, and the companies that represent it in La Cité du Vin gain worldwide recognition and high status as “wine ambassadors” of their country.”
The III All-Ukrainian competitive selection of the official wine ambassadors of Ukraine will be organized by Ukrvinprom Corporation together with the Association of Sommeliers of Ukraine in three stages:
Acceptance of applications from wineries – until August 20, 2024.
Blind evaluation of the applicant wines in the sensory analysis laboratory of the Ukrainian Wine Institute – August 28-29, 2024.
Awarding of the winners at a ceremony at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine – August 30, 2024.
Based on the results of the selection, the collection of 21 samples of Ukrainian wines that will receive the status of Ukrainian Wine Ambassador 2024 will be transferred to La Cité du Vin.
The partners of the project are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Directorate General for Servicing Foreign Missions, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the State Tax Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation, and the Association of Sommeliers of Ukraine.
The selection of the Ukrainian Wine Ambassador 2024 is widely supported by Ukrainian business: the general partner of the project is the leading agricultural company Perlyna Podillya, and the official partners are Polygraph Combine, Ukrposhta, Morshynska TM, Forests of Ukraine, Inter Fruits LTD, RadiMo TM, Interco Nouvelle-Aquitaine (France). The selection partners also include ATB, Ukraine’s No. 1 retail chain, Bousinage, a brand that offers modern wine aging technologies, and Artcatering, the organizers of the receptions.
Information support for the project “Ukrainian Wine – Part of the World Cultural Heritage of La Cité du Vin” is provided by Ukrayinska Pravda, Dico du Vin (France), PostEat, and PR-Service. Its educational partners are the National University of Food Technologies and the Uman National University of Horticulture.
For reference. Since its opening on June 1, 2016, La Cité du Vin World Cultural Wine Heritage Center has become a landmark social facility for both French and tourists. Every year, it receives an average of 500,000 visitors of 180 different nationalities, as well as more than a thousand French and foreign journalists. The center is also a popular venue for high-profile private events, the annual number of which reaches about 400.
The wines that the official partner (in Ukraine, Ukrvinprom Corporation) selects in their country and donates to La Cité du Vin are exhibited in different sectors of the museum and presented during various events, as well as separate wine tastings by country of origin. For the entrance ticket of one tour of the museum, each visitor can choose 15 samples from the collection of the world’s best wines, the list of which is regularly updated.
In January-July this year, Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works increased its rolled steel output by 38% year-on-year to 1.435 million tons from 1 million 40.2 thousand tons.
According to the company’s information on Friday, steel production during this period increased by 37.9% to 1 million 737.1 thousand tons, and pig iron production by 27.1% to 1 million 789.5 thousand tons.
In July, Zaporizhstal produced 261.9 thousand tons of iron, 250.8 thousand tons of steel, and shipped 202 thousand tons of rolled products.
It is also recalled that in 2023, the plant operated at an average of 70% of its capacity.
As reported, in 2023, Zaporizhstal increased its rolled steel output by 57.2% compared to 2022, to 2 million 54.7 thousand tons, steel by 65.4%, to 2 million 466.9 thousand tons, and pig iron by 35.3%, to 2 million 718.9 thousand tons.
“Zaporizhstal is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Ukraine, whose products are in great demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries of the world.
“Zaporizhstal is in the process of integration into Metinvest Group, whose major shareholders are System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Holding Group (23.76%).
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Gold prices are actively rising on Friday and have reached a new all-time high due to investor demand for safe-haven assets, MarketWatch reports.
Gold futures quotes on the Comex exchange are up 1% at $2506.2 per troy ounce.
“There is a tailwind for gold,” said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone. – “Expectations of easing from the Federal Reserve have reached such a level that there is already talk of the need for a sharper rate cut in September.
In his opinion, rising tensions in the Middle East make gold the most popular asset for hedging risks. An additional factor that could boost demand for the precious metal is the reduction of duties on gold imports to India.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has downgraded its migration forecasts for Ukrainians: while in April this year it expected an outflow of 200,000 this year and an inflow of 0.4 million next year, it now estimates the outflow this year at 400,000 and the inflow next year at 300,000.
“This assumption has worsened compared to the April Inflation Report due to the significant destruction of the Ukrainian energy system, which is accompanied by prolonged power outages and increases the risks for the heating season,” the regulator said in its July Inflation Report, published on Friday.
The NBU adds that in addition to household difficulties, frequent outages have a negative impact on production processes, which reduces economic activity and demand for labor, further stimulating migration.
In absolute terms, the number of migrants staying abroad is expected to increase to 6.7 million this year and 7 million next year.
The NBU refers to UN data, according to which the number of migrants abroad increased by 240 thousand to 6.6 million in the first half of this year.
In a new report, the National Bank postponed the expected start date for Ukrainians to return home from 2025 to 2026. According to its forecasts, 200,000 Ukrainians may return home in the first quarter of 2026 and the same number by the end of the year, although the April inflation report estimated the net inflow in 2026 at 800,000.
The central bank explains the change in its forecasts both by the deterioration of living conditions in Ukraine, in particular due to power outages, and by the factor of greater adaptation of Ukrainians abroad due to the long duration of their stay.
Thus, the NBU now estimates the number of compatriots-migrants abroad at the end of 2026 at 6.6 million, up from 5.3 million in the April inflation report.
It is noted that the number of internally displaced persons will also remain significant, as, according to surveys, a significant number of them have nowhere to return to due to significant damage to housing infrastructure.
“Currently, the negative risks of an even greater outflow of migrants abroad, and of a smaller and later return prevail. Important factors in this may be legislative decisions by the governments of recipient countries to deepen the integration of Ukrainian migrants in host countries, and their children in the educational systems of host countries, and, accordingly, an increase in the propensity to unite families abroad,” the regulator notes.
The NBU believes that this will have a negative impact on labor supply and consumer demand and will hinder economic growth.
“Significant changes in the structure of the economy and increased demand for skilled labor will lead to further imbalances in the labor market, which will stimulate wage growth that will be higher than productivity growth in certain sectors,” the regulator predicts.
On the other hand, the rapid recovery of housing, infrastructure, and job growth due to the economic recovery may lead to a more active return of migrants, the central bank points out.
Population forecast for Ukraine in 2030-2100
Source: Open4Business.com.ua
