The Kryvyi Rih Mining and Metallurgical Plant PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (AMKR, Dnipropetrovsk region) intends to reconstruct the coke chemical production (CCP) capture workshop complex – the ammonia-sulfate department.
According to materials available to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, the planned activities include the reconstruction of the CCP capture workshop complex, which involves both the construction of new buildings and the phased complete replacement of external equipment located outside the buildings with new equipment.
It is specified that the technical solutions ensure the preservation of the existing technology for purifying coke oven gas from ammonia using a non-saturator method with a sulfuric acid solution to obtain ammonium sulfate, which is a commercial product.
The purpose of the reconstruction is to replace outdated and worn-out equipment with modern equipment, improve equipment productivity, and improve working conditions for workers. The planned activities will ensure the preservation of jobs for the enterprise’s workers.
The reconstruction project is planned to be implemented in three stages, with dismantling, phased construction of facilities, and relocation of engineering networks under operating conditions. The total built-up area of the facility is approximately 6,500 square meters.
The main technical and economic indicators of the planned activities after the reconstruction of the workshop are as follows: productivity of the ammonia-sulfate department for coke oven gas – 130,000-140,000 cubic meters/hour / 1,138,800-1,226,400 thousand square meters/year; volume of coke oven gas purified from ammonia – 130,000-140,000 cubic meters/hour / 1,138,800-1,226,400 thousand cubic meters/year; ammonium sulfate production volume – 6,772 tons/hour / 59,322.72 tons/year; heavy capture resin volume ~80 tons/month / ~960 tons/year.
The existing recirculation cycle of the capture workshop will be used to meet the recirculating water supply needs of the new ammonia-sulfate department.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is the largest producer of hot-rolled steel in Ukraine. It specializes in the production of long products, in particular, reinforcement bars and wire rod. The company has a full production cycle, with a production capacity of over 6 million tons of steel, more than 5 million tons of rolled products, and over 5.5 million tons of pig iron per year.
ArcelorMittal owns Ukraine’s largest mining and metallurgical complex, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, and a number of small companies, including ArcelorMittal Beryslav.
The demographic situation and migration will be decisive factors for Ukraine’s economy in the medium term, said First Deputy Head of the NBU Serhiy Nikolaychuk in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“The labor shortage and aging population directly affect the labor market, wage levels, and inflation. We pay close attention to this in our forecasts,” he said.
According to him, the return of migrants and the attraction of women, students, pensioners, and veterans to the labor market help alleviate the problem, but in the long term, systemic solutions are needed, including in the areas of education and social policy.
NPC Ukrenergo has fully completed the construction of the first phase of passive protection facilities for its substations (PS), and the second phase is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2026, according to Yuriy Boyko, a member of the NPC’s supervisory board.
“There are queues for the construction of protective structures because it requires the equipment to be de-energized. Accordingly, it is impossible to carry out work simultaneously throughout the entire substation or at all facilities because they must provide power. We have already completed the first phase. The second phase is now actively under construction. According to the plan, more than 80% of the second phase should be completed by the end of the year. Full completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026,” Boiko said during a briefing at the Media Center of Ukraine in Kyiv on Thursday.
He noted that in different regions, especially those near the front lines, due to unrest and military risks, “the work is accompanied by long pauses, and its speed cannot be the same for everyone.”
Boiko also explained that the PS territory covers 20-70 hectares, and it is impossible to cover it with a sarcophagus, so resources and efforts must be focused on the most critical elements, in particular, autotransformers, which, according to him, “the Russians actively knocked out in the first year of the war.” In order to preserve the substation equipment, a plan has been developed to build protection for its key elements, the member of the supervisory board noted.
As reported, at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Headquarters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov to coordinate officials, regional administrations, and energy companies to purchase additional short- and medium-range air defense systems, as well as to increase funding for drone manufacturers. The priority is to shoot down “suicide drones.”
Source: Interfax-Ukraine
The price of gold may approach $5 thousand per troy ounce if the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve System (Fed), analysts at Goldman Sachs believe. December gold futures on the Comex exchange on Thursday are cheaper by 1% to $3597.3 per ounce.
Since the beginning of the year the precious metal has risen in price by 35% due to the increased demand of investors for protective assets. At the same time, traditional safe haven assets, such as the dollar and U.S. government bonds, have sagged due to political uncertainty and budget risks.
Recently, the market has been following Trump’s attacks on the Fed’s leadership, including his attempts to fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Fed’s Board of Governors. That case is now in court.
“A scenario involving a breach of Fed independence could lead to higher inflation, lower equity and long-term bond markets, and undermine the dollar’s status as a reserve currency,” said Goldman Sachs’ Daan Streven.
Gold, on the other hand, is “an asset whose value does not depend on confidence in institutions,” the expert added.
The base forecast of the bank provides for the growth of gold price to $4 thousand per ounce by the middle of 2026. However, the mass exodus of private investors from dollar assets may push quotes even higher.
“If 1% of private investments in the US Treasuries market moves into gold, the price will reach nearly $5 thousand per ounce,” Goldman analysts said in a report.
Despite the growing share of the euro in Ukraine’s foreign trade and international reserves, the US dollar remains the exchange rate-forming currency for the hryvnya. This was reported by the first Deputy head of the NBU Sergey Mykolaychuk in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“Historically, the focus has always been on the hryvnia-dollar pair. We realize that changes are possible over time with the deepening of European integration, but there is no clear transition plan. Today the dollar remains the exchange rate-forming currency,” he said.
According to the official, the structure of reserves and settlements may change in the future, however, instruments for hedging currency risks, including forwards, are available for business.
Ukraine will be able to avoid recession and even accelerate economic development after the end of active hostilities, the first deputy head of the NBU, Serhiy Mykolaychuk, has said.
In an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, he emphasized that the international experience of post-war crises is not fully applicable to Ukraine.
“We expect that defense spending will remain significant, while European integration plans and capital inflows will support the economy. In addition, the reintegration of veterans into peaceful life will be faster than it was in other countries, thanks to modern technologies and features of society,” Mykolaychuk said.
