Ukraine’s largest producer of coking coal, PrJSC Pokrovske Coal, intends to increase production of coking coal by 2024 and process it into coal concentrate by 4.1 million tonnes, Kostiantyn Vialy, director of the coal directorate at the managing company of Metinvest Group, said.
According to him, 2021 was not an easy and difficult year for the company, however, it was possible to achieve fairly high production volumes.
“Albeit not at the level that was planned. We have something to be proud of and, we can say that we managed to create a reliable guarantee of success and stability in the future. Last year we passed a very good investment program for 2022. We are planning a powerful mining upgrade – mine equipment for sinkers. At the end of February, we expect the delivery of two Chinese-made combines. We plan to purchase two more combines at the end of the year. As for the overhaul, one combine has already been received, two more are ready to be sent to the plant,” Vialy said in an interview with a corporate publication.
At the same time, he expressed the hope that a certain breakthrough in the pace of mining will be achieved this year, which will make it possible to significantly increase the “cleaning front” and production volumes in the future.
At the same time, he added that the first suspended battery locomotive is being tested in the mine today – compared to diesel, it does not produce noise and exhaust gases. In the future, it is planned to gradually update the mine transport. This requires considerable investments, but if you look at the issue taking into account the prospects, they will definitely pay off – if not today, then tomorrow.
Answering a question about the problem with personnel, he noted that the shortage of personnel is a problem of the entire labor market, which has been observed for many years.
Speaking about the future of the company, the director stressed that the vision is positive and successful.
“With the support of Metinvest, we are developing production, building new blocks, improving labor safety, the professional level of our employees. Our plans are large-scale. It is important for us to provide intra-group assets that are part of Metinvest with our coal. We plan to reach the peak of mine workings in 2024, which will increase production and produce concentrate in the amount of 4.1 million tonnes,” the head of the coal directorate said.
On the night of February 16-17, the Maran Excellence ship with 160,000 tonnes of Colombian coal for the needs of PJSC Centrenergo moored in the port of Pivdenny, unloading is underway at a deep-sea berth, the press service of the generating company reported.
“One of the largest bulk carriers (capesize), with a deadweight (maximum allowable load) of more than 180,000 tonnes, delivered 160,000 tonnes of high-quality Colombian coal to Ukraine for the needs of the Centrenergo generation,” the company said on its website on Thursday .
It notes that such a significant consignment of coal was delivered to Centrenergo for the first time by sea in accordance with contracts concluded with international traders.
“Despite the difficult situation that has developed in the Black Sea due to the training of the Russian Federation, the vessel successfully passed through a safe additional corridor to the Ukrainian port and arrived at its destination according to the schedule,” the generating company stressed.
Until the end of February this year, Centrenergo expects the next two ships with a total volume of coal of 214,000 tonnes.
The company assured that the replenishment of stocks at warehouses of thermal power plants due to the diversification of coal sources and the support of the Ministry of Energy and the State Property Fund of Ukraine will allow confidently going through the heating season and ensuring the reliable operation of the Ukrainian power system during peak hours.
Stocks of coal in the warehouses of thermal power plants of generating companies in Ukraine grew by 5.8% (by 38,300 tonnes) from January 31 to February 7, 2022, to 695,500 tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Energy.
According to the calculations of Interfax-Ukraine, since the beginning of the year, stocks have grew by 1.6 times (as of December 31, 2021 it were 435,700 tonnes), they are also 1.8 times more than a year earlier (as of February 8 2021 it were 384,400 tonnes).
As reported, the supply of coal to the warehouses of Ukraine’s thermal power plants in January 2022 rose by 8% (by 148,200 tonnes) compared to December 2021, to 1.991 million tonnes, including 643,400 tonnes of imported coal (1.6 times more), 1.347 million tonnes of Ukrainian-made coal (6.5% less).
Ukraine increased imports of hard coal and anthracite by 15.4% in 2021 year-on-year (by 2.612 million tonnes), up to 19.563 million tonnes.
According to the State Customs Service, coal was imported for $2.489 billion, which is 47.2% more than in 2020 ($1.691 billion).
Ukraine received $1.545 billion worth of coal (62.09% of imports) from Russia, $494.636 million (19.88%) from the United States, $253.469 million (10.18%) from Kazakhstan and $195.383 million (7.85%) worth of coal from other countries.
Coal mining enterprises of Ukraine in 2021 increased production of coal by 2% (by 569,500 tonnes) compared to 2020 – to 29.388 million tonnes, according to the data of the Ministry of Energy.
In particular, production of steam coal amounted to 22.153 million tonnes, coking coal – 7.234 million tonnes.
According to the calculations of the Interfax-Ukraine agency, coal mining enterprises, which are part of the ministry’s sphere of management, last year increased production by 1.9 times – up to 5.446 million tonnes, which is largely due to the return from the lease by DTEK of the assets of state enterprise Dobropilliavuhillia.
The mines of Donetsk region in 2021 ensured the production of 11.892 million tonnes of coal (up 5.7% from 2020), Luhansk region – 257,600 tonnes (up 14.2%), Dnipropetrovsk – 16.032 million tonnes (up 0.2%), Lviv – 1.182 million tonnes (down 9.7%), Volyn – 24,400 tonnes (down 28.5%).
In December 2021, production of coal in the country increased by 5.8% compared to the same month in 2020 – to 2.772 million tonnes.
DTEK Energy expects two more ships with 147,000 tonnes of thermal coal from Colombia and the United States to arrive in Ukraine by the end of the week, the company’s press service said.
According to its data, the first ship with 75,000 tonnes of coal from Colombia will arrive at the port of Chornomorsk next Friday, the second – with 72,000 tonnes from the United States will be moored at the TIS port at the weekend.
Coal from the fifth and sixth Panamax class ships that have arrived since the end of November will replenish the warehouses of the company’s TPPs.
“DTEK Energy continues to actively supply coal to the Ukrainian energy system. In addition to the four Panamax ships with imported coal, which have already arrived, have been fully unloaded or are now being sent to Ukrainian thermal power plants, we meet two more ships,” DTEK Energy CEO Ildar Saleev said.
In addition, the company has agreed on an additional ninth vessel. In general, this is about 618,000 tonnes of coal for the needs of Ukrainian thermal power plants. The first ship contracted by the company for the needs of the state-owned TPPs of Centrenergo arrived in Ukraine on November 20. The second, third and fourth Panamax ships with coal for DTEK Energy TPPs arrived on December 5, 16 and 17.
Since the beginning of December, the company has already imported about 200,000 tonnes of coal by sea. For the stable passage of the heating season, the company has contracted more than 1 million tonnes of imported fuel to date.
DTEK Energy is an operating company in charge of coal mining and electricity production from coal within the structure of Rinat Akhmetov’s DTEK Holding.
