Nikopol-based seamless stainless steel pipe manufacturer Centravis increased its production to 12.2 thousand tons in 2023, up 12% year-on-year. However, the production situation may deteriorate if the government does not start paying back VAT arrears.
Almost all the products were exported. In total, in 2023, the company exported seamless stainless steel pipes to 38 countries. Most of them were shipped to Germany, Italy, and the United States.
The EU countries were in the highest demand, followed by the US market, and then the Asian and Middle Eastern markets. In particular, Centravis has fulfilled orders for companies from Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, Oman, the UAE, etc.
“In 2023, we realized that the war could last for a long time and we must be prepared for it. There is no point in postponing something that will make your product better today. Similarly, you should not refuse to enter new markets or stop working with your team. We can’t just stand still and try to get through these difficult days, because we have no idea what the timeframe of the war is. Therefore, we are moving forward, improving our products, working with new projects and clients. I believe that our team passed the year 2023 with dignity,” said Yuriy Atanasov, CEO of Centravis.
Another important achievement of the past year was the opening of a new production facility in Uzhhorod. It specializes in tool pipes for the world’s leading automotive brands (Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet). The total investment amounted to over UAH 50 million. The new plant employs about 100 people, and in 2024 it is planned to expand and build the second stage.
At the same time, there is a big problem that hinders the company as much as the shelling by Russian troops. It is the VAT refund.
“The state’s debt to the company is over €10 million. It has never been like this in 30 years of operation. We won the courts, but a court decision cannot pay salaries and buy raw materials. I hope this issue will be resolved soon, as it is difficult for us to operate under the double pressure of the war and VAT arrears,” emphasized Yuriy Atanasov.
According to Centravis representatives, in 2023, the company took part in a number of notable projects. These include a project to produce hydrogen-powered cars in the EU, construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), development of onshore oil and gas wells in the United States, and construction of a new power plant in Alabama (USA). The company also represented the Ukrainian industry at the Adipec international exhibition in Abu Dhabi with its own exposition.
Centravis is currently one of the world’s ten largest producers of seamless stainless steel pipes. The company has production facilities in the cities of Nikopol and Uzhhorod, as well as sales offices in countries such as the United States, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates, and cooperates with Benteler Automotive, Buhlmann Group, Webco, and others – with various companies on different continents.
Last year, Centravis was ranked among the top 200 leaders in the Ukrainian economy.
Interpipe reported that it is currently implementing three investment projects. The largest of them, worth about $40 mln, is the construction of a new pipe heat treatment section. Two more projects are being implemented in the railroad division at the Interpipe NTZ plant in Dnipro.
Nikopol-based Centravis has planned to modernize its pipe-pressing line in the first half of 2024, which will reduce metal waste in the production process. The volume of investments in this project is about $3.5 million.
First Deputy Prime Minister noted that on the day of the visit to the enterprises in Nikopol and Kryvyi Rih these cities had been shelled by the occupants. Therefore, against this background, information about bold investment plans of Dnipropetrovsk enterprises looks particularly impressive.
According to her, metallurgy has always been a fundamental branch of the Ukrainian economy. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the domestic MMC created about 10% of GDP and brought about a third of cash proceeds from all commodity exports. This industry was and still is export-oriented, with more than 80% of metal products shipped abroad.
“The most important thing the government can do now for Ukrainian metallurgy is to ensure unimpeded exports by sea. We have an important achievement in this direction. In September, the first ships with metal traveled through the temporary sea corridor. And in November, we recorded a total increase in exports by sea by 70%. Metal exports are starting to work. This means that metallurgists and miners will have work, and the Ukrainian budget will receive additional taxes. Now we are working on the full unblocking of maritime logistics and launching the mechanism of ship insurance, which is already in place,” Sviridenko summarized, as quoted by the press service.
“Centravis Production Ukraine”, a part of Centravis Ltd. holding, produced 9.4 thousand tons of seamless stainless steel pipes in January-September this year, up 12.3% year-on-year (8.37 thousand tons).
“We are fighting for every ton, as some potential customers still do not want to deal with Ukrainian producers because of the full-scale war. We have just returned from two international exhibitions – Stainless Steel World in the Netherlands and Adipec 2023 in the United Arab Emirates. The key task of our salespeople is to convince them that the Ukrainian company is capable of performing its work at a high level even in the current environment. This is exactly what we have been doing for almost 1 year and 9 months”, Centravis CEO Yuriy Atanasov commented on the preliminary results of the first nine months of this year, as quoted by the press service.
According to him, production utilization is currently at 65-75% of the pre-war level.
According to a press release on Friday, despite the constant shelling of Nikopol and the area, Centravis continues to develop. In 2023, the company opened a new production facility in Uzhhorod with a total investment of over UAH 50 million and continues to export its products to different regions of the world. In particular, it participates in the implementation of such landmark projects as the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
Founded in 2000, “Centravis” is one of the ten largest producers of seamless stainless steel pipes in the world. Its main production facilities are located in Nikopol (Dnipropetrovska oblast), and in 2023 a branch of the company was opened in Uzhhorod.
The company employs over 1400 people.
The company’s supply geography exceeds 50 countries. Currently, Centravis has offices in the United States, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates. “Centravis” cooperates with Benteler Automotive, Buhlmann Group, Webco – with various companies on different continents.
Centravis Ltd. holding was established on the basis of Nikopol Stainless Pipe Plant CJSC, service and trading companies of Production and Commercial Enterprise YUVIS LLC. Its shareholders are members of the Atanasov family. Centravis Ltd. owns 100% of the shares in Centravis Production Ukraine.
Centravis Production Ukraine, a part of Centravis Ltd. holding, will invest over EUR3.5 million in the company’s production and development this year.
According to the company’s press release on Tuesday, Oleksandr Hripas, Head of Technical Development at Centravis, said that in 2022, Centravis focused on adapting to work in a full-scale war.
“We managed to quickly rebuild and maintain a high level of production and exports. This year, the team decided to resume investments. In total, we plan to invest over EUR 3.5 million in the modernization and development of production facilities. Most of the investments have been utilized, and the work is ongoing,” he said.
He also clarified that the main areas of investment are energy modernization, primarily energy efficiency measures and reduction of electricity consumption.
The company is strengthening its capabilities to operate in the face of electricity supply restrictions. A process metering system has already been launched, and electricity consumption has been significantly reduced, by up to 30% in some production areas. The company is also working to ensure uninterrupted water supply after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was blown up.
In addition, the company invests in environmental modernization and environmental impact reduction. Thus, the chemical pipe treatment area was reconstructed, a system of specialized software for monitoring chemical indicators was launched, and a water recycling system was set up at certain units of technological equipment.
Investments are also being made in the modernization of non-production infrastructure, which includes the repair of premises, roads, stormwater drainage, roofs, etc.
A separate investment project is the launch and development of a new production facility in Uzhhorod. The company is creating one of the leading centers for the production of tool pipes for cars in Zakarpattia. The company plans to purchase another rolling mill soon, the third one.
The press service reminds that the new facility started operating in February this year and has already reached a production volume of about 255 thousand meters of pipes per month, or more than 60 tons. The main customers are well-known global automakers, including Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet.
“There will be no development without investment. That is why we are looking for investment opportunities despite the difficult operating environment. At the end of the year, we will evaluate the entire scope of work and plan for 2024. It is important not to stop and to provide our customers with the appropriate level of quality and service,” said Yuriy Atanasov, CEO of Centravis, as quoted by the press service.
“Founded in 2000, Centravis is one of the ten largest producers of seamless stainless steel pipes in the world. Its main production facilities are located in Nikopol (Dnipropetrovska oblast), and in 2023, a branch of the company was opened in Uzhhorod.
The company employs over 1400 people.
The company’s supply geography exceeds 50 countries. Currently, Centravis has offices in the United States, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates. “Centravis cooperates with Benteler Automotive, Buhlmann Group, Webco – with various companies on different continents.
Centravis Ltd. holding was established on the basis of Nikopol Stainless Pipe Plant CJSC, service and trading companies of Production and Commercial Enterprise YUVIS LLC. Its shareholders are members of the Atanasov family. Centravis Ltd. owns 100% of the shares in Centravis Production Ukraine.
Centravis Production Ukraine, a part of Centravis Ltd. holding company, took part in the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) by shipping 1,300 meters of seamless stainless steel pipe for the reactor’s retro-reflectors.
According to the company’s press release on Friday, ITER is considered one of the most complex projects mankind is currently working on.
The project itself was started back in the 1980s. It was discussed and prepared for a long time. Finally, the reactor began to be built in 2020 in the south of France. The project involves 35 countries. The facility is planned to be launched in 2025, and it will reach full capacity in 2035.
According to the plan, ITER will produce clean energy through fusion.
Back in the 50s of the last century, scientists suggested that mankind is able to repeat the fusion of hydrogen isotope nuclei, as in the Sun, and get a lot of energy (1 g of thermonuclear fuel can replace 11 tons of coal).
In addition, no debris is left behind after fusion and it has low radioactivity. This type of plant can be four times more efficient than modern nuclear power plants and safer. But to get such energy, special conditions need to be created. In particular, the temperature is 10 times higher than in the core of the Sun.
“Projects like ITER are created for the future of mankind and it is an honor for us to join the cohort of its executors. We are working to ensure that there are more such orders,” said Centravis CEO Yuri Atanasov, who was quoted by the press service.
Earlier “Centravis” took part in the projects on construction of a new nuclear power plant Hinkly Point C in the UK, the largest fresh water storage in the UAE and others.
Centravis was founded in 2000 and is among the top ten largest seamless stainless steel pipe manufacturers in the world. Its main production facilities are located in Nikopol (Dnepropetrovsk region), in 2023 the company opened a branch in Uzhgorod.
The company employs more than 1400 people.
The geography of the company’s supplies exceeds 50 countries of the world. Currently “Centravis” has offices in the USA, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, United Arab Emirates. “Centravis” cooperates with Benteler Automotive, Buhlmann Group, Webco – with different companies on different continents.
Centravis Ltd. holding was established on the basis of CJSC “Nikopol Stainless Pipe Plant”, service and trading companies of LLC “Production and Commercial Enterprise “YUVIS”. Its shareholders are members of the Atanasov family. Centravis Ltd. owns 100% of shares of Centravis Production Ukraine PJSC.
PJSC “Centravis Production Ukraine” (Centravis Production Ukraine), a member of Centravis Ltd. holding, in January-June this year produced 6.73 thousand tons of seamless stainless steel pipes, which is 5.9% more than in the same period last year (6.35 thousand tons).
At the same time, Centravis CEO Yuriy Atanasov, quoted by the company’s press service, noted that even in the conditions of war and its challenges (shelling of infrastructure, disruption of logistics, power outages, undermining of the Kakhovskaya HPP dam), the company aims “not only at survival, but also at further trade expansion around the world”.
It is recalled that this year Centravis opened a new production facility in Uzhgorod with a total investment of more than UAH 50 mln. The branch specializes in tooling tubes for cars of well-known manufacturers.
According to Atanasov, these and other steps are aimed at increasing production volumes in the current and subsequent years and creating conditions for strengthening the company’s sustainability.
“Centravis was founded in 2000 and is among the top ten largest seamless stainless steel pipe manufacturers in the world. Its main production facilities are located in Nikopol (Dnepropetrovsk region), and in 2023 the company opened a branch in Uzhgorod.
The company employs more than 1400 people.
The geography of the company’s supplies exceeds 50 countries of the world. Currently “Centravis” has offices in the USA, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, United Arab Emirates. “Centravis” cooperates with Benteler Automotive, Buhlmann Group, Webco – with different companies on different continents.
Centravis Ltd. holding was established on the basis of CJSC “Nikopol Stainless Pipe Plant”, service and trading companies of LLC “Production and Commercial Enterprise “YUVIS”. Its shareholders are members of the Atanasov family. Centravis Ltd. owns 100% of shares of Centravis Production Ukraine PJSC.
