In January-November of this year, Ukrainian coke and chemical plants reduced production of metallurgical coke with 6% moisture content by 1% compared to the same period last year, to 8.731 million tonnes.
As the Ukrkoks association of coke and chemical enterprises (Dnipro) told Interfax-Ukraine, in November 727,000 tonnes of coke were produced.
Director General of Ukrkoks Anatoliy Starovoit told Interfax-Ukraine that in November and December the country’s coke and chemical enterprises operate at approximately the same load.
“There are slight fluctuations in production, when one battery is removed, the other is introduced, but in general these are minor changes,” the agency’s interlocutor stated.
According to him, the share of import coking coal supplies to coke and chemical plants amounted to 71.9% over 11 months of 2021, while over 11 months of 2020 – 72.7%.
“In total, in January-November of this year, 11.834 million tonnes of coal and concentrate were supplied to coke and chemical plants, including coal of Ukrainian production – 3.32 million tonnes, and 8.5 million tonnes of imported coal. In particular, 5.4 million tonnes of coal and concentrate were imported from the Russian Federation, 2.3 million tonnes from the USA and Canada, 711,000 tonnes from Kazakhstan, and the rest in small volumes – from Poland, the Czech Republic and other countries,” Starovoit said.
At the same time, the CEO reported updated data for 2022, according to which 14.2 million tonnes of coking coal will be required to smelt 21.5 million tonnes of cast iron. “On average, 460 kg of coke per tonne of cast iron,” the agency’s interlocutor said.
Earlier it was predicted that for the smelting of 21.5 million tonnes of cast iron in 2022, some 9.9 million tonnes of metallurgical coke, or 11.5 million tonnes of gross coke, would be required, for which 15.7 million tonnes of coking coals would be needed, including 12 million tonnes of imported coal.
“We have adjusted the demand for coke to 460 kg per tonne of cast iron, whereas earlier we used about 500 kg per tonne of cast iron,” Starovoit said.
According to recent data, over 11 months, in particular, Avdiyivka Coke and Chemical Plant reduced coke output by 9.7% compared to January-November 2020, to 2.417 million tonnes (224,000 tonnes were produced in November), Azovstal – by 9.8%, to 1.111 million tonnes (97,000 tonnes), Dniprovsky Coke and Chemical Plant – by 6.3%, to 505,000 tonnes (43,000 tonnes), Dniprokoks increased production by 10.7%, to 526,000 tonnes (51,000 tonnes), and Zaporizhkoks decreased production by 0.8%, to 887,000 tonnes (75,000 tonnes). Kharkiv Coke and Chemical Plant is idle. Coke production at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih increased by 10%, to 2.640 million tonnes (188,000 tonnes), and at Pivdenkoks – by 7.7%, to 645,000 tonnes (50,000 tonnes).
