Kokhavyno Paper Mill (KBF, Lviv region), which produces sanitary paper products, increased its production by 18% in 2023 compared to 2022, to UAH 1 billion 151.2 million, according to statistics from Ukrpapir Association.
According to the data provided to Interfax-Ukraine, in physical terms, the production of paper base for sanitary products increased by 2.8% to 41.7 thousand tons. In particular, in December, its output increased by 3% to 3.6 thousand tons by December 2022.
Last year, the production of toilet paper in rolls increased by 4.5% to 138 million units. KBF retained second place in terms of its output after Kyiv pulp and paper mill (259.5 million units).
As reported, in October, Kokhava Pulp and Paper Mill commissioned a paper machine with an estimated capacity of 25 thousand tons per year to produce pulp base paper (previously it produced only waste paper-based products), creating up to 200 new jobs.
To organize such production in 2021, the pulp mill attracted an EBRD loan of EUR 13.8 million.
Operating since 1939, the Kokhavynske Paper Mill produces the base paper for sanitary and hygiene products, as well as toilet paper and paper towels. Before the new machine was put into operation, it had two paper machines with a total capacity of 40 thousand tons of base paper per year.
As reported, in 2022, KBF produced products worth UAH 975.3 million, up 44.8% year-on-year. Net profit decreased by 12.7% to UAH 52.4 million.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has raised its forecast for Ukrainian wheat production in the 2023/24 marketing year (MY, September 2023 – August 2024) by 0.9 million tons to 23.4 million tons and for exports by 1.5 million tons to 14 million tons.
According to the USDA’s January report, Ukraine’s ending stocks will also increase by 1.8 million tons to 4.38 million tons.
For corn, the USDA left the harvest, exports and ending stocks in Ukraine unchanged: 30.5 million tons, 21 million tons and 6.82 million tons respectively.
In general, the updated global wheat crop forecast for the 2023/24 grain year was improved by 1.9 million tons to 784.91 million tons, due to the positive revision of estimates for Ukraine and Russia, while the forecast for China was lowered. The forecast for global wheat exports was also raised by 2.35 million tons to 209.54 million tons. The experts also revised the forecast for global wheat ending stocks upwards by 1.83 million tons to 260.03 million tons.
For corn, the forecast for global production in January was raised by 0.0137 million tons to 1.235 million tons, while exports were lowered by 0.57 million tons to 200.89 million tons. Ending stocks will rise by 10 million tons to 325 million tons.
Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises increased their production of rolled steel by 0.4% to 5.372 million tons in 2023, according to preliminary data, compared to 2022.
According to Ukrmetallurgprom on Wednesday, steel production decreased by 0.6% to 6.228 million tons last year.
Pig iron production for the period decreased by 6.1% to 6.003 million tons.
As reported, in 2022, Ukraine reduced production of total rolled products by 72% compared to 2021 – to 5.350 million tons, steel by 70.7% to 6.263 million tons, and pig iron by 69.8% to 6.391 million tons.
In 2021, the company produced 21.165 million tons of pig iron (103.6% compared to 2020), 21.366 million tons of steel (103.6%), and 19.079 million tons of rolled products (103.5%).
Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works of Zaporizhzhia has re-commissioned a pulverized coal injection (PCI) unit to reduce the cost of pig iron production.
According to the company’s Facebook post, the equipment was temporarily suspended due to unstable power supply and logistical constraints associated with the full-scale war.
“Now, thanks to the team of #Zaporizhstal blast furnace workers, the equipment is back in operation and operates by blowing pulverized coal into the blast furnaces. The use of pulverized coal technology reduces the cost of pig iron without affecting its quality and increases the productivity of Zaporizhstal’s blast furnaces,” the plant said in a statement.
As reported earlier, Zaporizhstal switched to the use of energy-efficient PCI technology in blast furnace production in October 2011: the project was launched in the first quarter of 2008, and the contract for the supply of technology and equipment was signed in 2006 with the German company Küttner.
The plant became the third steelmaker in Ukraine to implement PCI technology, following Donetsk Iron and Steel Works (DMZ) and Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works (Luhansk Oblast). The technology involves feeding wet PCI coke to grinding mills, where the coal is ground to dust, or particles smaller than 90 microns. It is then dried and blown into the combustion chamber – the blast furnace furnace.
“Zaporizhstal recouped the cost of constructing the pulverized coal plant worth about UAH 1 billion, including UAH 350 million for the construction of the basic coal storage facility (BCF), in 1.5 years after commissioning. The use of the PCI technology made it possible to increase the productivity of blast furnaces by an average of 10-15%.
“In the first nine months of 2023, Zaporizhstal reduced its net loss by 91.8% compared to the same period in 2022, to UAH 236.623 million from UAH 2 billion 883.850 million, while its net income for the period increased by 9.2% to UAH 41 billion 329.014 million. Retained earnings as of the end of September 2023 amounted to UAH 28 billion 961.786 million.
“Zaporizhstal ended 2022 with a net loss of UAH 4 billion 864 million 684.828 thousand, while in 2021 it made a net profit of UAH 16 billion 809 million 158.412 thousand.
“Zaporizhstal is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Ukraine, whose products are widely known and in demand in the domestic market and in many countries around the world.
According to the NDU for the third quarter of 2023, Kyiv Securities Group LLC owns 24.5003% of Zaporizhstal shares, Midland Capital Management LLC (both Kyiv, registered at the same address) owns 11.2224%, Global Steel Investments Limited (UK) owns 12.3466%, and Metinvest B.V. (Netherlands) owns 47.0032%.
Earlier it was reported that Metinvest Group’s effective shareholding in Zaporizhstal remains at 49.9%.
“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.
Zaporozhkoks, one of Ukraine’s largest coke and chemical producers and part of Metinvest Group, increased its blast furnace coke production by 16% in 2023 compared to 2022, up to 856.8 thousand tons from 737.4 thousand tons.
According to the company, it produced 71.9 thousand tons of coke in December.
“Zaporozhkoks produces about 10% of coke in Ukraine and has a full technological cycle of coke and chemical products processing. It also produces coke oven gas and pitch coke.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies. Its major shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage the company.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Pokrovske Mining and Processing Plant (PGOK, formerly Ordzhonikidze Mining, Dnipro region) reduced its manganese concentrate output by 44.3% year-on-year in 2022, to 674.8 thousand tons from 1.212 million tons.
According to the company’s annual report in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), in 2022 the company also produced 33.3 thousand tons of manganese sinter and did not produce iron ore sinter, while in 2021 it produced 258.8 thousand tons of iron ore sinter in addition to 1.212 million tons of manganese concentrate.
In 2022, the company reported a net loss of UAH 47.933 million (UAH 83.233 million in 2021) and net income of UAH 1 billion 489.140 million (UAH 3 billion 164.164 million).
Retained earnings at the end of 2022 amounted to UAH 1 billion 355.599 million.
PGOK is Ukraine’s largest open-pit manganese ore producer.
According to the third quarter of 2023, four companies – Profetis Enterprises Limited, Exseed Investmens Limited, Clemente Enterprises Limited and Alexton Holdings Limited (all Cyprus) – own 24.3024% of the company’s shares.
The authorized capital of the company amounts to UAH 736.134 million, with a share par value of UAH 0.25.
