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Ukraine's ArcelorMittal enhances steel output by 70% in 2024

Ukraine's greatest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, increased raw steel output by practically 70% to 1.65 million metric tons in 2024, the company stated on Tuesday, though production stayed far listed below its prewar capacity.

The business provided no explanation of the jump, but steel producers' union has stated a boost domestic and foreign need combined with the unblocking of Black Sea ports, which act as a gateway for exports, assisted improve output.

In 2021, the in 2015 before Russia's intrusion in February 2022, the steelmaker's output amounted to 4.9 million tons.

Ukraine's total steel production increased 21.6% to 7.58 million loads last year. That also stayed well below pre-war levels of 20-21 million tons after the intrusion which damaged a number of steel plants and sent output tumbling to 6.3 million loads in 2022 and 6 million in 2023.

With battling closing in on Ukraine's only coking coal mine, steel production volumes are under hazard again this year.

Despite the output dive, the steel maker, fully-owned by ArcelorMittal, stated in a declaration it was not able to break even due to the fact that of power lacks, high electrical energy prices and damaging metals prices.

In 2024, the plant also produced 2.17 million lots of pig iron and 1.53 million lots of rolled steel.

Our business plan is focused on the survival of the business, up until now, we are very cautious in our projections and understand that our results are far from pre-war levels, said Mauro Longobardo, CEO of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih.

Ukraine's Metinvest metallurgical giant stated this month it had suspended operations at its coking coal mine in the nation's east, pointing out a degrading security scenario.

The steelmakers' union stated in October the potential closure of the Pokrovsk mine might cause steel production to drop to 2-3 million metric lots in 2025.

That would strike Ukraine's steel exports, which in 2015 produced about $4.4 billion.

(source: Reuters)