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High power costs might shut down Ukraine's leading maker of iron ore concentrate

Ukraine's significant iron ore concentrate manufacturer, Ingulets GOK, might stop production due to problems with electrical power supplies and the high expense of imported electricity, specialised news company GMK Center said on Tuesday.

Recent Russian missile attacks have actually destroyed about half of Ukrainian power generating capabilities, leading to blackouts in many regions and forcing Kyiv to start large-scale electrical power imports from the European Union.

The company priced estimate the letter of business CEO Ihor Toniev to the government as stating that the share of electricity in the net expense of the produced concentrate was around 51%.

Toniev stated the current government decision which ordered industrial consumers to increase the share of imported electrical energy to 80% of the total intake can make products more pricey and minimizes competitiveness in foreign markets.

Ingulets GOK belongs of Ukraine's leading Metinvest metallurgical holding which typically exports the lion's. share of its output.

The purchase of imported electricity in the amount of 80%. of its own consumption is becoming unaffordable for Ingulets GOK. due to the high rate, which might lead to a complete shutdown. of the plant, Toniev said.

Toniev said the rate of imported electricity had currently. reached up to 200 euros per megawatt hour and that additional. price boosts position a severe hazard to commercial. business.

He included that due to a possible shutdown of the plant, the. output of iron ore items in Ukraine would decrease by 2.7. million metric loads. Ingulets GOK produced 12.3 million tons of. iron ore concentrate in 2019, according to Metinvest information.

Metinvest did not immediately respond to an ask for. comment.

(source: Reuters)