Two steelmakers in Ukraine have placed their plants in conservation mode. This comes after the country’s invasion by Russian armed forces in the early hours of Feb. 24. Metinvest Holding announced that it would suspend operations for seven days throughout its hot end at the Azovstal plant as well as at the plant’s coke shop.
Azovstal’s plate mill as well as rail and structural mills will also stop operations. The group will also halt production at Ilyich Iron and Steel Works’ sinter plant, the hot ends as well as Mills 1700 and 3000. Any decisions on the plants’ further operations, will stem from how the situation in the country develops.
Azovstal has a crude steel capacity of 5.3 million metric tons per year. The plant has five blast furnaces and two 350-ton basic oxygen furnaces. In addition, the plant also has four two-strand billet casters, an ingot caster, and a blooming mill. A slab caster on site also produces the semi-finished product in 220-300mm gauges, 1,250-2,100mm widths, and in lengths of 5,000mm to 12,000mm.
Ilyich has five blast furnaces, one BOF, and two open-hearth furnaces. One analyst estimated its crude capacity at 5 million metric tons per year. The site poured 4.26 million tons of crude steel in 2021, up 4.6% year on year from slightly over 4.07 million metric tons, the analyst added.
Azovstal and Ilyich plants are in the port city of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, and is in the part of Donetsk region that is under Ukrainian control.