Dnipro Metallurgical Plant (DMZ, formerly Dneprokoks), a part of DCH Steel of businessman Aleksandr Yaroslavsky’s DCH Group, cut rolled steel production by 61% year-on-year in January-March this year, down to 11.5 thousand tons from 29.4 thousand tons.
According to a report in DCH Steel’s corporate newspaper on Thursday, coke output for the period increased by 52.4% to 69.8 thousand tons from 45.8 thousand tons.
At the same time, in March of this year, DMZ reduced rolled steel output by 41.3% year-on-year to 6.2 thousand tons. However, metallurgical coke production increased by 52.3% to 24.4 thousand tons.
“In March, rolled steel production increased by 17.9% compared to February and metallurgical coke production by 7.8%,” the publication states.
DMZ employees made a unique mine skip for the group’s Sukha Balka mine. It is specified that this lifting mechanism is unique because there are no other such mine skips in the world with a volume of 25 cubic meters and a lifting capacity of 53 tons from a depth of 1500 meters, usually miners use smaller units of 20 cubic meters.
The skip was transported to the mine, where it was covered with an anti-corrosion coating, galvanized and painted, and a lining made in Sweden was installed. Currently, the skip is being installed at Yubileynaya mine.
“The project to manufacture a mine roof was implemented as part of DMZ’s vertical integration with Sukha Balka mine. The work was done perfectly, so we decided to entrust DMZ specialists with the production of the next important unit – a three-storey mine cage,” said Vitaly Bash, CEO of DCH Steel.
As reported, in 2023, the plant increased its rolled metal output by 86.2% compared to 2022, up to 105.6 thousand tons, and coke by 38.5%, up to 292.7 thousand tons.
In 2022, the plant reduced rolled steel production by 74.2% compared to 2021, to 58.4 thousand tons, and coke production by 56.3%, to 211.3 thousand tons.
DMZ specializes in the production of steel, pig iron, rolled products and products made from them. On March 1, 2018, DCH Group signed an agreement to buy Dnipro Metallurgical Plant from Evraz.
Zaporozhkoks, one of Ukraine’s largest coke and chemical producers and part of Metinvest Group, increased its blast furnace coke output by 1% year-on-year to 214.8 thousand tons from 211.3 thousand tons in January-March this year.
According to the company, it produced 74 thousand tons of coke in March.
As reported, Zaporozhkoks increased its blast furnace coke output by 16% in 2023 compared to 2022, up to 856.8 thousand tons from 737.4 thousand tons.
“Zaporozhkoks produces about 10% of coke in Ukraine and has a full technological cycle of coke 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.
Ruta, a major Ukrainian manufacturer of sanitary and hygienic paper products, whose management company is VGP JSC (Lutsk), produced products worth UAH 281.3 million in January-February, up 13.8% compared to the same period in 2023.
According to Ukrpapir Association’s statistics provided to Interfax-Ukraine, in physical terms, in particular, the production of toilet paper in rolls increased by 8.4% to 21.15 million units, which remains the third best result in the industry after Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill (42.5 million units) and Kokhava Paper Mill (24.3 million units).
The company produces cellulose-based sanitary products from imported base paper.
VGP’s brand portfolio includes napkins, toilet paper, paper handkerchiefs, and kitchen towels under the Ruta, Ruta Selecta, Fesko, Nosovic, Polotenchko, 100% paper, Servetta, and Ecolo brands. The assortment includes more than 180 items.
As reported, in 2023, the company produced products worth UAH 1 billion 611 million, which is 64.8% more than in 2022.
Cardboard and Paper Company LLC (Lviv), a major Ukrainian producer of cardboard tubes, produced products worth UAH 194 million in January-February 2024, down 3.7% year-on-year.
According to statistics provided to Interfax-Ukraine by UkrPapir Association, the company reduced its output of cardboard products by 13.8% in physical terms to 4.11 thousand tons, while it increased its production of paper base for sanitary products by 65% to 1.58 thousand tons. The production of toilet paper in rolls increased by 13.2 percent to 0.9 million units.
LLC Cardboard and Paper Company produces products and semi-finished products from waste cardboard (cardboard sheets, corners, sleeves), cellulose and recycled waste paper (toilet paper, towels, napkins under Papero brand). The company supplies its products, in particular, to the EU countries.
Among its customers are Biosphere, Arterium, Nestle, Khlibprom, Yarych confectionery, and Galychyna dairy company.
As reported, in 2023, the company increased its production by 7% compared to 2022, to UAH 1.27 billion.
In 2024, the production of oilseeds in Ukraine will increase by 19% compared to 2023 to 2.3 mln ha, which will be a record for the industry, APK-Inform news agency reported based on the results of the survey among farmers.
According to the survey, conducted in February-March 2024, 82% of the respondents, who grow soybeans, plan to keep the area under soybeans unchanged, and 16% intend to increase it. The increase will be due to the reduction of the area under winter crops, as well as sunflower or other spring crops.
The soybean area in 2024 may increase to 2.3 mln ha (+19% by 2023), which will be a new record for the industry. Previously, the maximum for this crop was 2.2 mln hectares in 2015, analysts predict.
They also expect the production of soybeans in Ukraine to reach a record level, which, according to preliminary estimates, could reach 6 mln tons, which is 17% higher than last year.
At the same time, according to experts, the area under sunflower is not likely to change significantly: 87% of the respondents who grow the crop plan to keep the area under it unchanged. Those who plan to reduce or increase the area under sunflower mostly reported that it will be at the expense of rapeseed.
“Our estimate of the sunflower acreage in 2024 is still 5.8 mln ha, which is almost at the level of 2023. Under favorable weather conditions, the oilseed harvest could reach 13.9 mln tonnes (+1% compared to 2023), which is still lower than the pre-war figure,” the analysts emphasized.
The area under rapeseed in 2024 is likely to decrease due to the dry autumn, which led some farmers to abandon the winter oilseed planting.
In the survey, 51% of respondents reported that winter rapeseed crops are in good or excellent condition, 43% – in satisfactory condition, and 5% – in poor condition.
The area under spring rapeseed may also increase in 2024 to the record level due to the price attractiveness of this oilseed, but the total area under winter and spring rapeseed, according to APK-Inform preliminary estimates, will decrease by 6%. This figure will still remain quite high compared to previous years, amounting to about 1.4 mln ha. The harvest of this oilseed may decline by 9% in 2024, to 4.2 mln tonnes, APK-Inform summarized.
The companies of Ukrtruboprom increased pipe production by 10.2% year-on-year to 495.6 thousand tons in 2023.
According to the association’s data on Wednesday, in 2023, pipe companies showed mixed dynamics.
In particular, Interpipe Nico Tube increased its seamless pipe production by 13.3%, while Trubostal reduced it by 42.5%. Ukrtruboizol increased production of electric-welded pipes by 43.8%, while Interpipe NMTZ decreased production by 53.8%. “Centravis increased production of stainless pipes by 11.7%. Oscar’s pipe production decreased by 30.5%.
At the same time, it is specified that in January 2023, 30.1 thousand tons of pipe products were produced (44.9% compared to January 2022), in February – 39.4 thousand tons (80.4% compared to February 2022), in March – 57.1 thousand tons (1631 tons (1631.4% compared to March 2022). tons (1631.4% compared to March 2022), in April – 42.3 thousand tons (228.6% compared to April 2022), in May – 49.6 thousand tons (96.5% compared to May 2022), in June – 35 thousand tons (67.8% compared to June 2022).
In July 2023, the company produced 43.9 thousand tons of pipes (112% compared to July 2022), in August – 41.8 thousand tons (114.5%), in September – 36.9 thousand tons (89.9%), in October – 39.7 thousand tons (98%), in November – 37.2 thousand tons (110.1%) and in December – 42.4 thousand tons (239.5%).
Georgiy Polskiy, CEO of Ukrtruboprom, noted that the Ukrainian pipe industry showed growth last year. This happened for the first time in two years of full-scale war, despite the proximity of many production sites to the front line and Nikopol being located directly in the war zone, which is subject to constant shelling.
“Against this backdrop, it is logical that we cannot talk about pre-war pipe production volumes: the results of 2023 are only 70% of the level of 2021. However, the production results for the year could have been higher if imported products from China had not entered the domestic market in large volumes, especially when analogues are produced in Ukraine. Chinese pipe products have simply flooded the Ukrainian market, both in the private segment and in tenders of state-owned companies,” stated the head of Ukrtruboprom.
He added that “that is why we were very enthusiastic about the establishment of the All-Ukrainian platform ‘Made in Ukraine’, which can help change the state economic policy.”
“This platform will help to solve the shameful problem of import penetration, in particular, in public tenders, thanks to the constant direct dialog between the state and business. At the same time, support for Ukrainian producers will become one of the key priorities of the government and parliament, which will strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities in wartime,” Polsky said.
As reported, Ukrtruboprom’s enterprises reduced pipe production by 37.9% in 2022 compared to 2021, to 449.7 thousand tons. In 2022, all plants showed negative dynamics. “Interpipe Niko Tube and Trubostal reduced production of seamless pipes by 31.1% and 61.6%, respectively, Centravis – stainless pipes by 38.3%, Interpipe NMTZ – electric-welded pipes by 67.1%. Production of pipes at Oscar fell by 20%, and only Ukrtruboizol reached the production level of 2021. Dnipropetrovs’k Pipe Plant has been idle and is in the process of liquidation.
