PrJSC Zaporizhkoks, one of the largest producers of coke and chemical products in Ukraine, part of the Metinvest Group, has completed the next stage of modernization of coke oven batteries No. 5 and 6 within the framework of the program for upgrading production capacities.
According to the company’s press release on Friday, investments amounted to about UAH 139 million.
At the same time, it is specified that according to the program of modernization and reconstruction of coke production, in 2020 at coke oven batteries No. 5 and 6, some 26 walls of coking chambers were repaired, reinforcement elements, armor and anchor columns on the furnaces were replaced. On the machine and coke side of the oven batteries, the vertical channels and new doors were installed on the coking chambers. The gas inlet and outlet fittings were repaired.
In order to ensure the safety of the work at coke oven battery No. 5, the end platform was overhauled, metal structures, concrete floors were replaced, new stairways and fences were installed.
“Despite the coronavirus [COVID-19] crisis, Zaporizhkoks continues to systematically fulfill its obligations to modernize production facilities and systematically reduce the burden on the environment. The overhaul of coke oven batteries allowed us not only to maintain, but also to increase coke production in 2020, without exceeding environmental standards,” Director General of Zaporizhkoks Oleksandr Tretiakov said.
During the overhaul, production was not stopped, which made it possible to maintain a stable output of coke, in 2020 the enterprise produced 853,120 tonnes of blast furnace coke, which is 3% higher than in 2019.
The press service said that the program for the reconstruction of coke oven batteries No. 5 and 6 is one of the main strategic projects of the investment program of Zaporizhkoks. The overhaul with a total budget of UAH 250 million started in 2016. It is planned to complete it in stages, without suspending the production, until 2022.
As reported, Zaporizhkoks in 2019 increased its production by 0.3% compared to the previous year, to 827,500 tonnes.
Zaporizhkoks produces about 10% of coke produced in Ukraine, owns a full technological cycle of processing coke chemical products. In addition, it produces coke oven gas and pitch coke.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining companies. Its main shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart-Holding (23.76%), jointly managing the company.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of Metinvest Group.
JSC Dniprotiazhmash (Dnipro), a large enterprise of heavy engineering, part of the scientific and production group Dniprotechservice, in 2020 plans to increase the number of products shipped for the coke industry by 24% (or 153 units) compared to 2019, to 795 units, Viacheslav Pronsky, the marketing director of the enterprise, has said.
“We’ve mastered the equipment for coke oven batteries relatively recently – we had to do it after the related plant Slovtiazhmash in Sloviansk (Donetsk region), also part of Dniprotechservice, unfortunately, did not survive the conflict time, a particularly acute period of events in the east of Ukraine in 2014-2015. We have adopted technologies, documentation and expertise from our colleagues, and for the fifth year we have been producing this equipment,” he told the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
According to the top manager, in 2020 Dniprotiazhmash intends to increase the share of coke-chemical equipment in the total sales of equipment for the mining and metallurgical sector from 23% in 2019 to 25% (or about UAH 186 million) in the current year, which was also facilitated by the shipment of two coal loading machines worth more than UAH 30 million each one.
“Our customers are almost all coke-chemical enterprises in Ukraine (in Avdiyivka, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Kamyanske, Kryvy Rih and Mariupol) and Kazakhstan (Temirtau), as well as several enterprises in Russia. This year, negotiations have begun, and we are already participating in tenders for coke-chemical products for Western consumers, in particular for all of ArcelorMittal’s assets in Europe,” Pronsky said.
Ukrainian coke plants (CCP) in January-November of this year reduced the production of metallurgical coke with 6% moisture content by 5.1% compared to the same period last year – to 8.817 million tonnes.
Some 811,000 tonnes of coke were produced in November, the association of coke-chemical enterprises Ukrkoks (Dnipro) told Interfax-Ukraine.
Director General of Ukrkoks Anatoliy Starovoit noted that in November coke production was approximately at the level of the previous three months. “Enterprises operate at the level of orders, the lag from last year’s indicators remains,” the agency’s interlocutor stated.
Answering the question about the supply of coal to the coke plant, he stated that over 11 months of 2020, 27% of domestically produced coal and 73% of imports were supplied to the enterprises.
“About 4.6 million tonnes were imported from the Russian Federation, from the USA-Canada and other countries – 3.3 million tonnes, Ukrainian coal was supplied in the amount of 3.25 million tonnes,” Starovoit said.
According to the results of 11 months of 2020, according to operational data, in particular, the Avdiyivsky Coke and Chemical Plant reduced coke output by 10.4% compared to the same period in 2019 – to 2.676 million tonnes (229,000 tonnes were produced in November), Azovstal reduced by 0.6% – up to 1.232 million tonnes (113,000 tonnes), Dniprovsky Coke Chemical Plant increased by 5.1%, up to 539,000 tonnes (49,000 tonnes), Dniprokoks reduced by 4.2% – to 475,000 tonnes (48,000 tonnes), Zaporizhkoks increased by 3.5% – to 475,000 tonnes (78,000 tonnes), Kharkiv Coke Plant reduced production by 88.6% – to 4,000 tonnes and is idle. Coke production at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih fell 7.3% to 2.399 million tonnes (237,000 tonnes), while at Yuzhkoks (Pivdenkoks) it increased by 5.8% to 599,000 tonnes (58,000 tonnes).
Ukraine increased coke and semi-coke exports by 2.8 times compared to the same period in 2019б to 10,627 tonnes.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service, the export of coke and semi-coke in monetary terms increased by 12.2%, to $1.020 million during that period.
The majority of deliveries were made to Slovakia (70.59% of supplies in monetary terms) and Poland (29.41%).
Ukraine imported 92,886 tonnes of coke and semi-coke in January-April 2020, which is 76.2% less compared to the same period in 2019. In monetary terms, imports decreased by 82.3%, to $21.302 million. The import was mainly from the Russian Federation (76.40% of supplies in monetary terms), Poland (9.5%) and Hungary (7.19%).
Ukraine reduced coke and semi-coke exports by 43.6% year-over-year to 14,421 tonnes in 2019.
According to customs statistics, published by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, coke and semi-coke exports were down 59.8% in monetary terms, to $2.715 million.
The majority of deliveries were made to Belarus (23.78% in monetary terms), Moldova (19.48%) and Romania (17.67%).
Imports of coke and semi-coke rose by 4.4%, to 876,938 tonnes in 2019, worth $263.429 million (4.6% up).
The goods were mainly imported from Russia (77% in monetary terms), Poland (12.28%) and the Columbia (4.46%).
Ukraine reduced coke and semi-coke exports by 61% year-over-year, to 6,891 tonnes in January-April 2019.
According to customs statistics, published by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, coke and semi-coke exports were down 65.2% in monetary terms, to $1.652 million.
The majority of deliveries were made to Belarus (22.4% in monetary terms), Romania (20.22%) and Moldova (17.68%).
Imports of coke and semi-coke rose by 12.9%, to 651,259 tonnes in January-July 2019, worth $200.694 million (15% up). The goods were mainly imported from Russia (84.36% in monetary terms), Poland (9.98%) and Egypt (3.74%).
As reported, Ukraine cut coke and semi-coke exports by 88.6% year-over-year to 25,578 tonnes in 2018. Imports of coke and semi-coke fell by 45.8%, to 839,757 tonnes in 2018, worth $251.724 million (44% down).
Some coalmines and coking plants in Ukraine are located in Russia-occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.
