Sunday, 15 Jan 2012
Interfax-Ukraine cited Mr Yuriy Boiko Ukrainian Energy and Coal Minister as saying that Ukraine plans to increase coal output in 2012 to 84 million tonnes from 82 million tonnes in 2011.
Therefore, production this year will increase by 2.4%.
Mr Boiko said "The switching of our heat power plants to coal will allow us to save up to six billion cubic meters of gas a year."
Earlier, the Ukrainian government included the state-run Eskhar heat power plant two on the list of state property that can undergo concession. The government said that the transfer of enterprises for concession could attract investments into projects for modernization of heat power plants for their further switch to modern technologies of coal burning including the coal-water mixture technology.
Ukrainian coal-sector companies increased production by 8.9%YoY in 2011 to 81.859 million tonnes. Coking coal output in 2011 was up by 3.7%, to 24.858 million tonnes and the production of power-generating coal increased by 11.4%, to 57 million tonnes.
In 2011 Donetsk region increased coal output by 13.1% to 36.266 million tonnes, Luhansk region by 9.7% to 27.269 million tonnes, Dnipropetrovsk region by 2.5% to 15.414 million tonnes while coal production in Lviv region dropped by 10.2% to 2.359 million tonnes, and in Volyn region by 4.8% to 550,200 tonnes.
(sourced kyivpost.com)
Showing posts with label Ukraine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ukraine. Show all posts
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih’s rebar used in construction of new stadium in Lviv
Wednesday, 02 November 2011
20,000 mt of reinforcing bar from Ukrainian steelmaker ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, subsidiary of global steel giant ArcelorMittal, have been used for the construction of the new sports complex, Arena Lviv, in Lviv, Ukraine. Several matches in the Euro 2012 football tournament will be held at the stadium. Rebar of standard sizes (with diameters 8, 10, 12, 32 mm) from ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih were used to reinforce concrete structures of the stadium.
During the preparations for Euro 2012, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih products have also been used in the construction of key facilities in Ukraine such as Lviv airport, the new terminal of the Boryspil international airport in Kiev and the National Sports Complex in Kiev.
Tags: rebar , Ukraine , ArcelorMittal , longs , CIS , steelmaking , construction , consumption
sourced: steelorbis
20,000 mt of reinforcing bar from Ukrainian steelmaker ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, subsidiary of global steel giant ArcelorMittal, have been used for the construction of the new sports complex, Arena Lviv, in Lviv, Ukraine. Several matches in the Euro 2012 football tournament will be held at the stadium. Rebar of standard sizes (with diameters 8, 10, 12, 32 mm) from ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih were used to reinforce concrete structures of the stadium.
During the preparations for Euro 2012, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih products have also been used in the construction of key facilities in Ukraine such as Lviv airport, the new terminal of the Boryspil international airport in Kiev and the National Sports Complex in Kiev.
Tags: rebar , Ukraine , ArcelorMittal , longs , CIS , steelmaking , construction , consumption
sourced: steelorbis
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Moldavian Steel Works’ crude steel output up 46 percent in September over August
Thu, 06 October 2011
In September this year, Moldavian Metallurgical Works (MMZ), a steelmaker based in the Transnistrian region of Moldova, produced 62,675 mt of crude steel (up 45.9 percent month on month) and 54,387 mt of rolled steel (up 11.2 percent month on month), including 30,218 mt of reinforcing bar and 24,169 mt of rod.
In October, MMZ plans to decrease production amid the unfavourable situation in the global market and will focus on production of rod from high-carbon steel grades. The company will ship material to Russia, Ukraine, Africa, the EU and Latin America in October.
Tags: rebar , raw mat , longs , Moldova , CIS , production , steelmaking , crude steel , Moldavian Metallurgical Works
(sourced steelorbis)
In September this year, Moldavian Metallurgical Works (MMZ), a steelmaker based in the Transnistrian region of Moldova, produced 62,675 mt of crude steel (up 45.9 percent month on month) and 54,387 mt of rolled steel (up 11.2 percent month on month), including 30,218 mt of reinforcing bar and 24,169 mt of rod.
In October, MMZ plans to decrease production amid the unfavourable situation in the global market and will focus on production of rod from high-carbon steel grades. The company will ship material to Russia, Ukraine, Africa, the EU and Latin America in October.
Tags: rebar , raw mat , longs , Moldova , CIS , production , steelmaking , crude steel , Moldavian Metallurgical Works
(sourced steelorbis)
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Evraz UGOK’s iron ore concentrate and agglomerate production goes up in September
Tuesday, 04 October 2011
In September this year, Evraz UGOK (Southern Ore Mining and Processing Enterprise), a subsidiary of Russian mining and steel producing company Evraz Group, increased its iron ore concentrate production by 6.4 percent compared to September 2010, to 809,000 mt. Its output of agglomerate in the given period increased by three percent year on year to 137,000 mt.
In the January-September period of the current year, Evraz UGOK saw a 14.2 percent growth in its iron ore concentrate production to 7.572 million mt and an 11 percent increase in its agglomerate production to 1.376 million mt - both on year-on-year basis.
Tags: iron ore, CIS, production, mining, Evraz
(sourced steelorbis)
In September this year, Evraz UGOK (Southern Ore Mining and Processing Enterprise), a subsidiary of Russian mining and steel producing company Evraz Group, increased its iron ore concentrate production by 6.4 percent compared to September 2010, to 809,000 mt. Its output of agglomerate in the given period increased by three percent year on year to 137,000 mt.
In the January-September period of the current year, Evraz UGOK saw a 14.2 percent growth in its iron ore concentrate production to 7.572 million mt and an 11 percent increase in its agglomerate production to 1.376 million mt - both on year-on-year basis.
Tags: iron ore, CIS, production, mining, Evraz
(sourced steelorbis)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Ukraine seeks Chinese investment of USD 1 billion for coal mines
Thursday, 01 Sep 2011
Bloomberg cited Mr Viktor Yanukovych President of Ukraine as saying that Ukraine seeks to get USD 1 billion of Chinese investments to develop its coal-mining sector.
He said that agreements have been made with the Asian country to start a joint pilot project to upgrade the Melnykova mine in the Luhansk region.
Mr Yanukovych said Ukraine is actively looking for investments in coal mining as it seeks to increase safety. Coal production should rise by at least 10% a year.
He said that the eastern European country has about 12 trillion cubic meters of coal-bed methane. Coal-bed methane is a type of so-called unconventional natural gas that originates in coal seams and is drained from surface boreholes before mining starts.
sourced Bloomberg
Bloomberg cited Mr Viktor Yanukovych President of Ukraine as saying that Ukraine seeks to get USD 1 billion of Chinese investments to develop its coal-mining sector.
He said that agreements have been made with the Asian country to start a joint pilot project to upgrade the Melnykova mine in the Luhansk region.
Mr Yanukovych said Ukraine is actively looking for investments in coal mining as it seeks to increase safety. Coal production should rise by at least 10% a year.
He said that the eastern European country has about 12 trillion cubic meters of coal-bed methane. Coal-bed methane is a type of so-called unconventional natural gas that originates in coal seams and is drained from surface boreholes before mining starts.
sourced Bloomberg
Friday, August 5, 2011
Ukraine mining accident possibly caused by poor engineering: government
KIEV, August 5 (Xinhua) -- A mining accident that killed one worker and injured at least 25 others in eastern Ukraine was possibly caused by poor engineering and a lack of discipline, the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry said Friday.
A poor engineering design caused an unstable pattern of ventilation inside the Krasnokutska mine in Lugansk region, which led to Thursday's methane gas explosion, the ministry said in a statement.
Discipline at the mine was disordered, and an emergency evacuation of workers could not be properly conducted, it added.
The director of the mine was suspended by Fuel and Energy Minister Yury Boiko until the end of the investigation. The deputy chief safety engineer was dismissed.
Thursday's blast was the third mining accident in Ukraine in less than a week. Last Friday, a blast at a mine in Lugansk region killed 27 people. On the same day, 11 miners were killed in another accident in the Donetsk region.
(sourced Xinhua)
A poor engineering design caused an unstable pattern of ventilation inside the Krasnokutska mine in Lugansk region, which led to Thursday's methane gas explosion, the ministry said in a statement.
Discipline at the mine was disordered, and an emergency evacuation of workers could not be properly conducted, it added.
The director of the mine was suspended by Fuel and Energy Minister Yury Boiko until the end of the investigation. The deputy chief safety engineer was dismissed.
Thursday's blast was the third mining accident in Ukraine in less than a week. Last Friday, a blast at a mine in Lugansk region killed 27 people. On the same day, 11 miners were killed in another accident in the Donetsk region.
(sourced Xinhua)
Friday, July 29, 2011
20 dead, 17 missing in Ukraine twin mine tragedies
July 29, 2011Agence France-Presse
LUGANSK, Ukraine - Twenty miners died and another 17 were missing Friday in two separate accidents at coal mines in the east of Ukraine, an industrial region notorious for its mining safety record.
The twin disasters were the country's worst mining accidents since more than 100 miners were killed in a mine explosion in 2007.
President Viktor Yanukovych interrupted his vacation and was expected at the Lugansk mine, which is run by a private holding controlled by Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man who bankrolled his 2010 presidential campaign.
Yanukovych also cancelled plans to attend the Formula 1 Power Boat Grand Prix near Kyiv, his administration said.
At least 16 miners were killed instantly as a result of an explosion at the Sukhodolskaya-Vostochnaya coal mine in the eastern Lugansk region early Friday, the emergencies ministry said.
Another three workers received burns and other injuries and were hospitalized, it said. One of the injured died later of his wounds.
The two injured were in a grave condition, said Pavel Malysh, top health official for the Lugansk region, noting they suffered from a combination of burns and head injuries.
"We're are doing our best to save them," he said.
"The fate of nine miners remains unknown," said the Kyiv-based emergencies ministry in a statement, adding that a total of 28 people were working at the pit when the explosion occurred at 1:57 am Friday.
The Lugansk regional administration, citing preliminary information, said the accident was caused by a methane explosion, which has caused most of the country's past mining disasters.
A separate accident at the state-controlled Bazhanova mine in the town of Makiyivka in the neighbouring Donetsk region left three people dead, the emergencies ministry said in a statement.
The emergencies ministry said the tragedy was caused when the 70-metre-high (230-foot) mine headframe, which is used to lower miners down into the mine and bring them up again, collapsed earlier Friday.
Eight workers were missing, according to the emergencies ministry, and officials said it appeared they were still alive but trapped under the rubble.
"The voices of two people can be heard from under the ruins," said Donetsk region governor Andriy Shishatsky.
"They're saying that more people are under them. The main task is to get the people out as soon as possible."
Another four were injured, the emergencies ministry said, adding that more than 530 workers were able to bring themselves to the surface using emergency shafts.
An official with Metinvest Group, a private holding that includes the company operating the Lugansk region mine, said it had modern equipment but was one of the most dangerous coal mines in the country as it had high levels of methane and had experienced accidents in the past.
System Capital Management Group, controlled by Akhmetov, has a 70 per cent stake in Metinvest.
"The company spent huge money to upgrade it," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "But the mine is incredibly dangerous."
Albina Kosheleva, the Lugansk regional administration spokeswoman, also said the mine boasted modern equipment and the safety procedures there were at a "decent level".
The Metinvest official said families of the miners killed in the blast would each receive one million hryvnias ($125,000).
Dmitry Kalitventsev, leader of a local miners' trade union, expressed fears the rescue teams would find more dead at the Lugansk mine.
"It is most likely that all of them died," he told AFP, referring to the missing workers.
Deadly accidents are frequent in Ukrainian mines, most of which are located in the country's industrial eastern region. Many of the mines are underfunded and poorly equipped, while safety violations are rife.
In the worst accident of its kind in the country's post-Soviet history, more than 100 miners were killed in an explosion in 2007 at the Zasyadko mine, one of the three biggest in Ukraine.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Germany suspends deal to extend nuclear plants' life
Mar14, 2011 8:19pm GMT
By David Stamp
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has suspended a coalition agreement to delay closing the nation's ageing nuclear power stations, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday after the Japanese crisis stiffened opposition to an unpopular deal.
Last year, the coalition agreed to prolong the life of the 17 nuclear plants -- some of which are well over 30 years old -- beyond their original planned closure dates. On Monday Merkel said this agreement would now be suspended for three months.
As Japanese engineers struggle to avoid a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear complex, Merkel faces a backlash on her nuclear policy before elections in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg later this month.
One of Germany's oldest nuclear reactors is in the state, where Merkel's conservative CDU party risks losing power in the polls two weeks from now, partly because of rising support for the opposition Greens.
"We will suspend the extension of the life of Germany's nuclear power stations, which was decided only recently. The moratorium will last for three months," Merkel told a news conference, saying safety tests would be applied "without taboos."
The government had decided to keep the nuclear plants -- operated by E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall -- running for about 12 years beyond their original shutdown date, despite protests even before the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on Friday.
HUMAN CHAIN
Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said the moratorium meant that the Neckarwestheim I plant in Baden-Wuerttemberg, which is operated by EnBW, should be taken offline and was unlikely to start up again.
However, an EnBW spokesman said the utility would keep Neckarwestheim I operating pending talks with the government.
Later, a source quoted Bavaria's environment minister as saying that the Isar 1 plant in the southern state should also go offline.
On Saturday, anti-nuclear protesters formed a 45-km (27 mile) human chain from the Baden-Wuerttemberg capital of Stuttgart to Neckarwestheim I. Between 50,000 and 60,000 demonstrators took part, according to police and organisers.
A coalition source said RWE's Biblis A also faced a shut down. Under the original closure schedule both reactors, which began operating in the mid-70s, had been due to close this year.
Merkel said she was not worried about Germany's electricity supply as the country was a net exporter of energy. On Monday protesters gathered outside her office, waving banners saying "Atomic power? No thank you!."
Germany had been due to go nuclear-free after the last plant reached the originally planned end of its life in 2021. But pressure, largely from the power industry, grew to keep the stations open.
Last year's agreement was supposed to end months of division on the issue between the CDU and its junior coalition partner, the Free Democrats.
No new nuclear power stations have opened in Germany for decades because of public hostility, especially after the 1986 disaster when the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine exploded, spewing radiation across much of Europe.
(Additional reporting by Thorsten Severin, Andreas Rinke and Gernot Heller,UK.reuters)
By David Stamp
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has suspended a coalition agreement to delay closing the nation's ageing nuclear power stations, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday after the Japanese crisis stiffened opposition to an unpopular deal.
Last year, the coalition agreed to prolong the life of the 17 nuclear plants -- some of which are well over 30 years old -- beyond their original planned closure dates. On Monday Merkel said this agreement would now be suspended for three months.
As Japanese engineers struggle to avoid a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear complex, Merkel faces a backlash on her nuclear policy before elections in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg later this month.
One of Germany's oldest nuclear reactors is in the state, where Merkel's conservative CDU party risks losing power in the polls two weeks from now, partly because of rising support for the opposition Greens.
"We will suspend the extension of the life of Germany's nuclear power stations, which was decided only recently. The moratorium will last for three months," Merkel told a news conference, saying safety tests would be applied "without taboos."
The government had decided to keep the nuclear plants -- operated by E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall -- running for about 12 years beyond their original shutdown date, despite protests even before the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on Friday.
HUMAN CHAIN
Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said the moratorium meant that the Neckarwestheim I plant in Baden-Wuerttemberg, which is operated by EnBW, should be taken offline and was unlikely to start up again.
However, an EnBW spokesman said the utility would keep Neckarwestheim I operating pending talks with the government.
Later, a source quoted Bavaria's environment minister as saying that the Isar 1 plant in the southern state should also go offline.
On Saturday, anti-nuclear protesters formed a 45-km (27 mile) human chain from the Baden-Wuerttemberg capital of Stuttgart to Neckarwestheim I. Between 50,000 and 60,000 demonstrators took part, according to police and organisers.
A coalition source said RWE's Biblis A also faced a shut down. Under the original closure schedule both reactors, which began operating in the mid-70s, had been due to close this year.
Merkel said she was not worried about Germany's electricity supply as the country was a net exporter of energy. On Monday protesters gathered outside her office, waving banners saying "Atomic power? No thank you!."
Germany had been due to go nuclear-free after the last plant reached the originally planned end of its life in 2021. But pressure, largely from the power industry, grew to keep the stations open.
Last year's agreement was supposed to end months of division on the issue between the CDU and its junior coalition partner, the Free Democrats.
No new nuclear power stations have opened in Germany for decades because of public hostility, especially after the 1986 disaster when the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine exploded, spewing radiation across much of Europe.
(Additional reporting by Thorsten Severin, Andreas Rinke and Gernot Heller,UK.reuters)
Time for nuclear review, Chernobyl nuclear disaster...now Japanese nuclear crisis
Saturday March 19, 2011By Jeeva Arulapalam,
TWENTY-FIVE years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine, fears that Japan's nuclear crisis may trigger similar ramifications have caused governments worldwide to review their adoption of nuclear energy.
Japan, hit with a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami last Friday, is now coping with its own nuclear crisis after the tsunami caused Fukushima Daiichi power station's reactor to start overheating, causing radiation.
This nuclear scare has caused many nations to exercise stress tests on exiting nuclear reactors, with some even shutting down older nuclear power plants.
But an industry observer highlights that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The shutting of nuclear power plants globally will result in higher utilisation of gas and coal (commodities that will not last forever), which will drive commodity prices up further. A London Commodity Brokers report issued on Thursday said that European coal futures for 2012 have added
9% to US$ 134/tonnes since Friday's close after the earthquake and resulting tsunami shut some Japanese nuclear power plants, potentially forcing the country to burn more coal.
Malaysia, which has expressed interests in developing nuclear energy for future usage, currently relies heavily on coal and gas for electricity supply, with coal almost entirely imported and gas supply from Peninsular Malaysia fast diminishing.
The import of gas needs to commence within the next few years, Performance Management and Delivery Unit director for oil, gas and energy under the New Key Economic Areas Dr Emir Mavani told StarBizWeek.
The total potential of green energy is limited to around 4,000 MW, based on the assessment by the Green Technology Corp of Malaysia.
Coal, oil, gas, hydropower and nuclear energy are widely considered as commercial energy sources, with established economic competitiveness and supply chains globally.
“In contrast, renewable energy sources, including solar power, are considered alternative energy sources and not expected to be capable of substituting commercial energy sources. Nevertheless, renewable energy sources are expected to play an important role in reducing commercial energy demand, by augmenting overall energy supply,” said Dr Emir.
Globally
In the wake of Japan's nuclear crisis, governments globally are re-looking at safety aspects of their current operating nuclear power plants and have also started to question the wisdom in relying on civil nuclear energy as part of an energy mix given the potential safety hazards in the eventuality of a nuclear power plant meltdown.
China, the world's second-biggest energy user, has taken pro-active measures by suspending approvals for new plants and those in the pre-development plans until nuclear safety regulations are approved. With some 13 reactors in operation now, the country is currently building roughly 27 new reactors as part of its proposed plan to have over 100 nuclear power plants in the coming years.
European Union (EU) energy ministers have collectively agreed to carry out stress tests on the 143 nuclear power plants spread across 14 EU countries, following the recent nuclear crisis in Japan.
The stress tests will include risk assessments of possible damage by earthquakes, terrorist attacks, power fallouts and tsunamis among others.
The EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger had also the raised the prospects of a nuclear-free future for Europe in a meeting held last Tuesday among EU nations to discuss the nuclear crisis and safety measures.
Germany, which has 17 nuclear reactors operating currently, has decided to shutdown seven of its oldest reactors for a three-month duration to conduct safety probes.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy said that the recent nuclear crisis has given rise to questions on safety of nuclear power stations and its importance in energy mix.
However, France, the second-largest producer of nuclear power worldwide after the US with some 58 reactors operating now, will continue relying on nuclear energy given that it is an essential element of the country's energy independence.
US President Barack Obama, who is a proponent of nuclear energy development, is still keen on pursuing nuclear power as the country's overall energy plan. He said the country would take lessons learnt from Japan and continuously update how the US approached nuclear safety, and has asked the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct a “comprehensive review” of the safety of all US nuclear plants.
The US has some 104 nuclear reactors providing 20% of the nation's electricity. It was reported by various news agencies that no new nuclear power plant has been built in the country since it experienced its own nuclear disaster in 1979, when a reactor at the Third Mile Island power plant, Pennsylvania, overheated causing radioactive gases to be released.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with CNN that he was reconsidering nuclear energy for the country due to the radiation leaks stemming from Japan's nuclear crisis.
He was reported to have said that the uncertainty over how the crisis will play out has left a cloud' hanging over the world and he was not keen to pursue civil nuclear energy in the coming years.
Malaysia
Malaysia has started to look at the feasibility of utilising nuclear energy as part of the country's energy mix. This is due to the power sector facing a major challenge as declining gas production will have an impact on the power generation industry. Currently, 58% of power generated in Peninsular Malaysia is based on natural gas, with the remainder coming from coal (37%) and hydro (5%).
A foreign research analyst says the country has to look at other renewable energy options, such as nuclear energy, especially since rising coal prices were impacting the bottomline of the country's energy provider, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).
“It is unfair that TNB has to bear the brunt of rising coal prices without electricity tariffs moving up. What needs to be worked out is a proper cost-pass through mechanism,” she says.
However, she adds that renewable energies such as solar and wind depend very much on nature, which could impact the sustainable production of energy.
Under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), Malaysia is exploring the option of deploying nuclear energy to meet future demand and diversify the energy mix for Peninsular Malaysia. A Nuclear Power Development Steering Committee, headed by the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry, was set up in June 2009 to plan for the country's potential nuclear energy needs.
The committee will prepare a Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development Plan to be ready by 2013, of which the ETP says that a nuclear power pre-feasibility study and initial site selection study has already been undertaken.
The plan will lay out a development timeframe of 12 years from pre-project to commissioning of a twin-unit nuclear power plant with a total capacity of two gigawatts costing up to RM21.3bil, with the first unit to be operational by 2021.
The rational behind pushing nuclear energy adoption is that it would be cost-competitive, supplying the cheapest source of energy. Aside form this, nuclear power is a cleaner energy than coal and gas (zero grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kwh vs 800 and 400 grams respectively.)
While these details have been made known in the ETP, what many may be interested to note is that a key enabler to the nuclear energy project taking off is public acceptance.
Many quarters have expressed concern over the development of nuclear power plants locally, with political figureheads as well as environmental and consumers groups urging the government to re-consider other renewable energy options instead of adopting nuclear energy.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said that the proposal to construct nuclear power plants for electricity has not been decided yet by the Cabinet.
The Environmental Protection Society Malaysia president Nithi Nesaduraio says that Malaysia does not need nuclear power plants, with such facilities left vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.
However, an industry source familiar with the country's nuclear development plans, says that it is premature to make any call on the impact to Malaysia's nuclear plan.
“Malaysia is not in an earthquake belt and the tsunami risk has been taken into account in the local nuclear power plant siting activity,” says the source.
It is good to point out here that the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power stations had shut off automatically after the earthquake but the emergency cooling systems failed to work after the tsunami damaged the plant's local backups. This has led the Japanese authorities to douse water onto the nuclear reactor from aerial and ground levels to keep it cool.
Back to Malaysia among the renewable energies up for consideration under the energy mix include hydro, solar and biomass. But the drawback of solar and biomass plants is that the energy output would pale in comparison to the output of nuclear power plants.
Dr Emir says a major constraint of renewable energy sources is availability.
For example, solar power supply is dependent on the availability of sunshine, which is constraint by climatic conditions, such as rain or clouds, and unavailable at night.
Hydropower is constraint by the catchment area and the size of the reservoir. The amount of electricity that could be generated by hydropower stations are limited by the volume of water that could be stored in the reservoir.
Dr Emir adds that to compensate for these constraints, redundant back-up electricity generation capacity need to be established, in the event that such renewable energy sources are not available in time of need. This would increase overall investment cost.
“Should Malaysia proceed with nuclear power plants, there needs to be an independent watchdog that is established to oversee the safety requirements on these plants,” says an industry observer.
As the world awaits to assess the potential damage from Japan's nuclear crisis, this may be the right time to reflect on the country's future energy mix and potential dependency on nuclear power.
Japan, hit with a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami last Friday, is now coping with its own nuclear crisis after the tsunami caused Fukushima Daiichi power station's reactor to start overheating, causing radiation.
This nuclear scare has caused many nations to exercise stress tests on exiting nuclear reactors, with some even shutting down older nuclear power plants.
But an industry observer highlights that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The shutting of nuclear power plants globally will result in higher utilisation of gas and coal (commodities that will not last forever), which will drive commodity prices up further. A London Commodity Brokers report issued on Thursday said that European coal futures for 2012 have added
9% to US$ 134/tonnes since Friday's close after the earthquake and resulting tsunami shut some Japanese nuclear power plants, potentially forcing the country to burn more coal.
Malaysia, which has expressed interests in developing nuclear energy for future usage, currently relies heavily on coal and gas for electricity supply, with coal almost entirely imported and gas supply from Peninsular Malaysia fast diminishing.
The import of gas needs to commence within the next few years, Performance Management and Delivery Unit director for oil, gas and energy under the New Key Economic Areas Dr Emir Mavani told StarBizWeek.
The total potential of green energy is limited to around 4,000 MW, based on the assessment by the Green Technology Corp of Malaysia.
Coal, oil, gas, hydropower and nuclear energy are widely considered as commercial energy sources, with established economic competitiveness and supply chains globally.
“In contrast, renewable energy sources, including solar power, are considered alternative energy sources and not expected to be capable of substituting commercial energy sources. Nevertheless, renewable energy sources are expected to play an important role in reducing commercial energy demand, by augmenting overall energy supply,” said Dr Emir.
Globally
In the wake of Japan's nuclear crisis, governments globally are re-looking at safety aspects of their current operating nuclear power plants and have also started to question the wisdom in relying on civil nuclear energy as part of an energy mix given the potential safety hazards in the eventuality of a nuclear power plant meltdown.
China, the world's second-biggest energy user, has taken pro-active measures by suspending approvals for new plants and those in the pre-development plans until nuclear safety regulations are approved. With some 13 reactors in operation now, the country is currently building roughly 27 new reactors as part of its proposed plan to have over 100 nuclear power plants in the coming years.
European Union (EU) energy ministers have collectively agreed to carry out stress tests on the 143 nuclear power plants spread across 14 EU countries, following the recent nuclear crisis in Japan.
The stress tests will include risk assessments of possible damage by earthquakes, terrorist attacks, power fallouts and tsunamis among others.
The EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger had also the raised the prospects of a nuclear-free future for Europe in a meeting held last Tuesday among EU nations to discuss the nuclear crisis and safety measures.
Germany, which has 17 nuclear reactors operating currently, has decided to shutdown seven of its oldest reactors for a three-month duration to conduct safety probes.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy said that the recent nuclear crisis has given rise to questions on safety of nuclear power stations and its importance in energy mix.
However, France, the second-largest producer of nuclear power worldwide after the US with some 58 reactors operating now, will continue relying on nuclear energy given that it is an essential element of the country's energy independence.
US President Barack Obama, who is a proponent of nuclear energy development, is still keen on pursuing nuclear power as the country's overall energy plan. He said the country would take lessons learnt from Japan and continuously update how the US approached nuclear safety, and has asked the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct a “comprehensive review” of the safety of all US nuclear plants.
The US has some 104 nuclear reactors providing 20% of the nation's electricity. It was reported by various news agencies that no new nuclear power plant has been built in the country since it experienced its own nuclear disaster in 1979, when a reactor at the Third Mile Island power plant, Pennsylvania, overheated causing radioactive gases to be released.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with CNN that he was reconsidering nuclear energy for the country due to the radiation leaks stemming from Japan's nuclear crisis.
He was reported to have said that the uncertainty over how the crisis will play out has left a cloud' hanging over the world and he was not keen to pursue civil nuclear energy in the coming years.
Malaysia
Malaysia has started to look at the feasibility of utilising nuclear energy as part of the country's energy mix. This is due to the power sector facing a major challenge as declining gas production will have an impact on the power generation industry. Currently, 58% of power generated in Peninsular Malaysia is based on natural gas, with the remainder coming from coal (37%) and hydro (5%).
A foreign research analyst says the country has to look at other renewable energy options, such as nuclear energy, especially since rising coal prices were impacting the bottomline of the country's energy provider, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).
“It is unfair that TNB has to bear the brunt of rising coal prices without electricity tariffs moving up. What needs to be worked out is a proper cost-pass through mechanism,” she says.
However, she adds that renewable energies such as solar and wind depend very much on nature, which could impact the sustainable production of energy.
Under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), Malaysia is exploring the option of deploying nuclear energy to meet future demand and diversify the energy mix for Peninsular Malaysia. A Nuclear Power Development Steering Committee, headed by the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry, was set up in June 2009 to plan for the country's potential nuclear energy needs.
The committee will prepare a Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development Plan to be ready by 2013, of which the ETP says that a nuclear power pre-feasibility study and initial site selection study has already been undertaken.
The plan will lay out a development timeframe of 12 years from pre-project to commissioning of a twin-unit nuclear power plant with a total capacity of two gigawatts costing up to RM21.3bil, with the first unit to be operational by 2021.
The rational behind pushing nuclear energy adoption is that it would be cost-competitive, supplying the cheapest source of energy. Aside form this, nuclear power is a cleaner energy than coal and gas (zero grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kwh vs 800 and 400 grams respectively.)
While these details have been made known in the ETP, what many may be interested to note is that a key enabler to the nuclear energy project taking off is public acceptance.
Many quarters have expressed concern over the development of nuclear power plants locally, with political figureheads as well as environmental and consumers groups urging the government to re-consider other renewable energy options instead of adopting nuclear energy.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said that the proposal to construct nuclear power plants for electricity has not been decided yet by the Cabinet.
The Environmental Protection Society Malaysia president Nithi Nesaduraio says that Malaysia does not need nuclear power plants, with such facilities left vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.
However, an industry source familiar with the country's nuclear development plans, says that it is premature to make any call on the impact to Malaysia's nuclear plan.
“Malaysia is not in an earthquake belt and the tsunami risk has been taken into account in the local nuclear power plant siting activity,” says the source.
It is good to point out here that the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power stations had shut off automatically after the earthquake but the emergency cooling systems failed to work after the tsunami damaged the plant's local backups. This has led the Japanese authorities to douse water onto the nuclear reactor from aerial and ground levels to keep it cool.
Back to Malaysia among the renewable energies up for consideration under the energy mix include hydro, solar and biomass. But the drawback of solar and biomass plants is that the energy output would pale in comparison to the output of nuclear power plants.
Dr Emir says a major constraint of renewable energy sources is availability.
For example, solar power supply is dependent on the availability of sunshine, which is constraint by climatic conditions, such as rain or clouds, and unavailable at night.
Hydropower is constraint by the catchment area and the size of the reservoir. The amount of electricity that could be generated by hydropower stations are limited by the volume of water that could be stored in the reservoir.
Dr Emir adds that to compensate for these constraints, redundant back-up electricity generation capacity need to be established, in the event that such renewable energy sources are not available in time of need. This would increase overall investment cost.
“Should Malaysia proceed with nuclear power plants, there needs to be an independent watchdog that is established to oversee the safety requirements on these plants,” says an industry observer.
As the world awaits to assess the potential damage from Japan's nuclear crisis, this may be the right time to reflect on the country's future energy mix and potential dependency on nuclear power.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine). It is considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, and it is the only one classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.
The disaster began during a systems test on 26 April 1986 at reactor number four of the Chernobyl plant, which is near the town of Pripyat. There was a sudden power output surge, and when an emergency shutdown was attempted, a more extreme spike in power output occurred, which led to a reactor vessel rupture and a series of explosions. This event exposed the graphite moderator components of the reactor to air, causing them to ignite. The resulting fire sent a plume of radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area, including Pripyat. The plume drifted over large parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Northern Europe. Large areas in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were evacuated, and over 336,000 people were resettled. According to official post-Soviet data, about 60% of the fallout landed in Belarus.
The accident raised concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry, as well as nuclear power in general, slowing its expansion for a number of years and forcing the Soviet government to become less secretive about its procedures.
Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus have been burdened with the continuing and substantial decontamination and health care costs of the Chernobyl accident. More than fifty deaths are directly attributed to the accident, all among the reactor staff and emergency workers. Estimates of the total number of deaths attributable to the accident vary enormously, from possibly 4,000 to close to a million.[4][5] Despite the accident, Ukraine continued to operate the remaining reactors at Chernobyl until 2000, when the last reactor at the site was closed down.
For more information visit Wikipedia
The disaster began during a systems test on 26 April 1986 at reactor number four of the Chernobyl plant, which is near the town of Pripyat. There was a sudden power output surge, and when an emergency shutdown was attempted, a more extreme spike in power output occurred, which led to a reactor vessel rupture and a series of explosions. This event exposed the graphite moderator components of the reactor to air, causing them to ignite. The resulting fire sent a plume of radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area, including Pripyat. The plume drifted over large parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Northern Europe. Large areas in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were evacuated, and over 336,000 people were resettled. According to official post-Soviet data, about 60% of the fallout landed in Belarus.
The accident raised concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry, as well as nuclear power in general, slowing its expansion for a number of years and forcing the Soviet government to become less secretive about its procedures.
Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus have been burdened with the continuing and substantial decontamination and health care costs of the Chernobyl accident. More than fifty deaths are directly attributed to the accident, all among the reactor staff and emergency workers. Estimates of the total number of deaths attributable to the accident vary enormously, from possibly 4,000 to close to a million.[4][5] Despite the accident, Ukraine continued to operate the remaining reactors at Chernobyl until 2000, when the last reactor at the site was closed down.
For more information visit Wikipedia
Brilliant Greenpeace video on Chernobyl
Saturday, March 5, 2011
ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih VAT refunds problem unsettled
Saturday, 05 Mar 2011
It is reported that the state debt for VAT refunds for products exported by ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih is not falling and currently remains one of the major problems for the enterprise.
Currently there is no improvement in the situation with VAT refunds and the settlement of this problem.
The company said "Nothing has changed on the issue of VAT refunds to the company. We hope for a positive solution of the problem, but nothing has changed so far. Talks are now being held."
The press service noted that when holding talks the company suspected that the tax administration does not want to include ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih, the largest exporter of goods in Ukraine, on the list of enterprises subject to automatic VAT refunds.
(Sourced from Interfax)
Currently there is no improvement in the situation with VAT refunds and the settlement of this problem.
The company said "Nothing has changed on the issue of VAT refunds to the company. We hope for a positive solution of the problem, but nothing has changed so far. Talks are now being held."
The press service noted that when holding talks the company suspected that the tax administration does not want to include ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih, the largest exporter of goods in Ukraine, on the list of enterprises subject to automatic VAT refunds.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Stakhaniv Railcar to supply 400 freight cars to Poltava Iron Ore in 2011
Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011
It is reported that Stakhaniv Railcar a major producer of freight railcars in Ukraine will supply 400 freight railcars to affiliated Poltava Iron Ore with an option for another 600 units.
According to Millennium Capital analyst “We consider the news as POSITIVE for the Stakhaniv Railcar. We estimate the order will add at least USD 26 million to the company’s top line in FY11.”
(sourced:Millennium Capital)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Ukraine’s Ilyich reduces coke consumption in pig iron production
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
The Ukrainian flat steel producer Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol (Ilyich), a part of the steel and rolled products division of the Ukrainian mining and steel producing group Metinvest, has said that in 2010 it reduced its average coke consumption per one metric ton of pig iron production by 3.5 percent year on year to 502 kg, with a further reduction to 490 kg coke/mt of pig iron in December.
Accordingly, such results are considered to be the best among the other steel producers which are not equipped with pulverized coal injection (PCI) facilities.
Since the beginning of the current year for each metric ton of pig iron produced, Ilyich has consumed 484 kg of coke, 82 cubic meters of natural gas and 40 cubic meters of oxygen. The plant's average daily production of pig iron amounts to 14,410 mt.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, from late February this year Ilyich plans to resume work on the construction of its PCI facility for blast furnaces, which is being supplied by China National Mineral Co. Ltd, in line with the contract concluded on May 18, 2006.
(sourced:steelorbis)
Tags: pig iron , raw mat , Ukraine , CIS , Ilyich , production , consumption , steelmaking , Met Coke
Accordingly, such results are considered to be the best among the other steel producers which are not equipped with pulverized coal injection (PCI) facilities.
Since the beginning of the current year for each metric ton of pig iron produced, Ilyich has consumed 484 kg of coke, 82 cubic meters of natural gas and 40 cubic meters of oxygen. The plant's average daily production of pig iron amounts to 14,410 mt.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, from late February this year Ilyich plans to resume work on the construction of its PCI facility for blast furnaces, which is being supplied by China National Mineral Co. Ltd, in line with the contract concluded on May 18, 2006.
(sourced:steelorbis)
Tags: pig iron , raw mat , Ukraine , CIS , Ilyich , production , consumption , steelmaking , Met Coke
Gubakha Coke commissions second coke battery to double output
Monday, 21 February 2011
Tags: coking coal , raw mat , Russia , CIS , production , investments , steelmaking , Met Coke
(sourced:steelorbis)
Russia's Kemerovo city-based company Stroyservis has announced that its Perm region-based coke producing subsidiary Gubakha Coke has commissioned its second coke battery, i.e., coke battery No.1-BIS, which will allow it to double its coke output from 650,000 mt to 1.3 million mt per year.
Gubakha Coke's coke battery No.1-Bis had been in condition of ‘hot idle'. The decision on its commissioning was taken by Stroyservis after the plant was acquired from the Russian pipe producing company OMK in May 2010. Previously, Gubakha Coke had just been operating its coke battery No.2-BIS with an annual capacity of 650,000 mt of coke. For the implementation of this project Stroyservis invested more than Ruble 100 million (about $3.4 million) in 2010.
In 2011, Gubakha Coke produced 514,000 mt of coke, registering a 68 percent increase over 2009, while its shipments were equal to its output level. In 2011, Gubakha Coke plans to increase its coke production to more than one million mt, which is also expected to be exported to steel producing companies in Ukraine and Belarus.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, Stroyservis, which is specialized in mining and beneficiation of coal, mining machinery and metal trading, possesses five coal mines in the Kemerovo region, which supplies about 73 percent of coking coal to Gubakha Coke.
Gubakha Coke's coke battery No.1-Bis had been in condition of ‘hot idle'. The decision on its commissioning was taken by Stroyservis after the plant was acquired from the Russian pipe producing company OMK in May 2010. Previously, Gubakha Coke had just been operating its coke battery No.2-BIS with an annual capacity of 650,000 mt of coke. For the implementation of this project Stroyservis invested more than Ruble 100 million (about $3.4 million) in 2010.
In 2011, Gubakha Coke produced 514,000 mt of coke, registering a 68 percent increase over 2009, while its shipments were equal to its output level. In 2011, Gubakha Coke plans to increase its coke production to more than one million mt, which is also expected to be exported to steel producing companies in Ukraine and Belarus.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, Stroyservis, which is specialized in mining and beneficiation of coal, mining machinery and metal trading, possesses five coal mines in the Kemerovo region, which supplies about 73 percent of coking coal to Gubakha Coke.
Tags: coking coal , raw mat , Russia , CIS , production , investments , steelmaking , Met Coke
(sourced:steelorbis)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Ukraine’s Interpipe to supply railway wheels for Delhi subway
Monday, 21 February 2011
The Ukrainian steel pipe and railway wheel company Interpipe, one of the largest global producers of railway wheels under the KLW brand, has announced that it has won a tender to supply railway wheels for the subway system in Delhi, India.
The total volume of the order is 200 wheels. Railway wheels under the KLW brand will be used to repair the rolling stock of the Delhi subway.
"For the last 10 years we have supplied railway wheels under the KLW brand to the Indian market. In previous years, we have supplied wheels mainly for suburban and freight transportation. One of the last projects finished in September 2010 was the handover of production technology for 955 mm diameter railway wheels for local EMU [electric multiple unit] trains to the Durgapur Steel Plant (Durgapur, India)," Interpipe's director of railway wheel sales Mikhael Iskov said.
The total volume of the order is 200 wheels. Railway wheels under the KLW brand will be used to repair the rolling stock of the Delhi subway.
"For the last 10 years we have supplied railway wheels under the KLW brand to the Indian market. In previous years, we have supplied wheels mainly for suburban and freight transportation. One of the last projects finished in September 2010 was the handover of production technology for 955 mm diameter railway wheels for local EMU [electric multiple unit] trains to the Durgapur Steel Plant (Durgapur, India)," Interpipe's director of railway wheel sales Mikhael Iskov said.
(sourced:steelorbis)
Tags: India , Ukraine , CIS , South Asia , Indian Subcon , construction , steelmaking , manufacturing , production , consumption, Durgapur Steel Plant
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Egypt unrest hit steel prices - Metalloinvest
Saturday, 19 Feb 2011
(Sourced from Reuters)
Reuters reported that unrest in Egypt has hit construction steel prices with spot rebar in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah now at USD 640 per tonne to USD 650 per tonne as Black Sea mills seek new markets away from the turmoil.
Mr Shukhrat Nishanov GD of Hamriyah said that “It is influencing the market. If that market was traditionally supplied by our colleagues in Turkey and Ukraine, well, they can't sell there so they are going to the Saudi market and this is disrupting our business."
Mr Nishanov said that Metalloinvest's Hamriyah, the only Russian owned steel plant in the United Arab Emirates sold its January rebar production for USD 700 per tonne roughly 8% above the current spot range.
He said that the company, which is also Russia's largest iron miner, opened its steel plant in the UAE last year to tap into the Middle Eastern construction boom. It currently produces 80,000 tonnes of rebar per month or 1 million tonnes per year. This can be ramped up slightly to about 1.2 million tonnes if demand increases.
Metalloinvest, controlled by billionaire Mr Alisher Usmanov may also add a second mill later in the decade, though it has yet to take a final decision. It already operates two major steel plants in Russia.
Mr Nishanov said that Hamriyah does not sell any steel directly to Egyptian buyers. He said “We export 30% to Saudi Arabia, 20% to Iraq and our trading partners sell to other buyers in the Persian Gulf and 10% to 15% is sold to local firms.”
He does not expect the Egyptian market to revive until there is more certainty about the country's future political course.
Mr Shukhrat Nishanov GD of Hamriyah said that “It is influencing the market. If that market was traditionally supplied by our colleagues in Turkey and Ukraine, well, they can't sell there so they are going to the Saudi market and this is disrupting our business."
Mr Nishanov said that Metalloinvest's Hamriyah, the only Russian owned steel plant in the United Arab Emirates sold its January rebar production for USD 700 per tonne roughly 8% above the current spot range.
He said that the company, which is also Russia's largest iron miner, opened its steel plant in the UAE last year to tap into the Middle Eastern construction boom. It currently produces 80,000 tonnes of rebar per month or 1 million tonnes per year. This can be ramped up slightly to about 1.2 million tonnes if demand increases.
Metalloinvest, controlled by billionaire Mr Alisher Usmanov may also add a second mill later in the decade, though it has yet to take a final decision. It already operates two major steel plants in Russia.
Mr Nishanov said that Hamriyah does not sell any steel directly to Egyptian buyers. He said “We export 30% to Saudi Arabia, 20% to Iraq and our trading partners sell to other buyers in the Persian Gulf and 10% to 15% is sold to local firms.”
He does not expect the Egyptian market to revive until there is more certainty about the country's future political course.
(Sourced from Reuters)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Metinvest targets annual steel output of 25 million mt in long term
Tuesday, 08 February 2011
Ukraine's largest mining and steel group Metinvest has increased its investments for 2011 by 2.4 times year on year to $1.18 billion in order to improve its steel production efficiency and to strengthen its vertical integration with the aim of processing in-house as much available raw materials as possible into steel, said Metinvest's CEO Igor Syry. He added that during the next five years Metinvest plans to invest around $6 billion for the stated purpose, targeting a long-term output goal of 25 million mt of steel per year, which will take it to around fifth place among the world's major steelmakers.
Metinvest plans to expand its steelmaking capacities both by mergers and acquisitions, and by pursuing organic growth. "We will also strengthen our footprint in our strategic markets - in Ukraine and the CIS, the EU, the Middle East and North Africa. Our presence will grow by means of product portfolio diversification, reduction of the share of semi-finished products down to 10 percent in favor of such products as hot and cold rolled coils, coated coils and heavy sections, as well as through clear customer segmentation and development of long-term mutually beneficial relationships with key accounts," Mr. Syry said.
As regards its technological strategy, Metinvest plans to introduce pulverized coal injection (PCI) technology. Its high-grade coking coal needs per annum will increase to 13 million mt, and its coke needs will rise to 8 million mt. "The share of high-quality coking coal in our blast furnace charge will need to increase, though, unfortunately, there is a lack of such coals in Ukraine. Additional volumes can be imported, and naturally, we will be sourcing them from United Coal (UCC), our own coal mining company in the USA. We have approved capacity expansion projects at the Affinity and Roaring Creek mines, and we are planning to increase supplies," Mr. Syry stated.
In addition, Metinvest plans the implementation of energy efficiency projects, the positive effect of which, according to preliminary estimations, will amount to around $1 billion per year.
Tags: hrc , crude steel , coking coal , crc , raw mat , semis , flats , Ukraine , CIS , steelmaking , production , investments , Metinvest(sourced:steel orbis)
Ukraine's largest mining and steel group Metinvest has increased its investments for 2011 by 2.4 times year on year to $1.18 billion in order to improve its steel production efficiency and to strengthen its vertical integration with the aim of processing in-house as much available raw materials as possible into steel, said Metinvest's CEO Igor Syry. He added that during the next five years Metinvest plans to invest around $6 billion for the stated purpose, targeting a long-term output goal of 25 million mt of steel per year, which will take it to around fifth place among the world's major steelmakers.
Metinvest plans to expand its steelmaking capacities both by mergers and acquisitions, and by pursuing organic growth. "We will also strengthen our footprint in our strategic markets - in Ukraine and the CIS, the EU, the Middle East and North Africa. Our presence will grow by means of product portfolio diversification, reduction of the share of semi-finished products down to 10 percent in favor of such products as hot and cold rolled coils, coated coils and heavy sections, as well as through clear customer segmentation and development of long-term mutually beneficial relationships with key accounts," Mr. Syry said.
As regards its technological strategy, Metinvest plans to introduce pulverized coal injection (PCI) technology. Its high-grade coking coal needs per annum will increase to 13 million mt, and its coke needs will rise to 8 million mt. "The share of high-quality coking coal in our blast furnace charge will need to increase, though, unfortunately, there is a lack of such coals in Ukraine. Additional volumes can be imported, and naturally, we will be sourcing them from United Coal (UCC), our own coal mining company in the USA. We have approved capacity expansion projects at the Affinity and Roaring Creek mines, and we are planning to increase supplies," Mr. Syry stated.
In addition, Metinvest plans the implementation of energy efficiency projects, the positive effect of which, according to preliminary estimations, will amount to around $1 billion per year.
Tags: hrc , crude steel , coking coal , crc , raw mat , semis , flats , Ukraine , CIS , steelmaking , production , investments , Metinvest(sourced:steel orbis)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Ukraine's Metinvest sells $750 mln Eurobond
Tue Feb 8, 2011 8:52am GMT
KIEV Feb 8 (Reuters) - Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest has placed a $750 million seven-year Eurobond with a yield of 9.0 percent, Thomson Reuters service IFR said on Tuesday.
The bond, arranged by Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, ING, RBS and VTB Capital, pays a coupon of 8.75 percent and came at a reoffer price of 98.722 percent of face value, equivalent to 598.8 bp over Treasuries, IFR said. (Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Richard Balmforth,sourced:Reuters)
KIEV Feb 8 (Reuters) - Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest has placed a $750 million seven-year Eurobond with a yield of 9.0 percent, Thomson Reuters service IFR said on Tuesday.
The bond, arranged by Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, ING, RBS and VTB Capital, pays a coupon of 8.75 percent and came at a reoffer price of 98.722 percent of face value, equivalent to 598.8 bp over Treasuries, IFR said. (Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Richard Balmforth,sourced:Reuters)
Monday, February 7, 2011
Watchdog suspends ArcelorMittal's mine in Ukraine
Mon Feb 7, 2011 4:08pm GMT
KIEV Feb 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine's industrial safety watchdog has suspended coal production at a mine belonging to the country's biggest steel mill ArcelorMittal Kryvy Rih (ISPA.AS: Quote) (MT.N: Quote), the company said on Monday.
The company declined to comment on the consequences of the suspension for its steel production.
Ukrainian media said that a possible destruction of a road which ran above the mine's working zone was the reason for the watchdog's decision. ArcelorMittal Kryvy Rih cut crude steel production to 450,000 tonnes in January 2011 from 534,000 in January 2010. [ID:nLDE70O1K2]
The plant, located in the city of Kryvy Rih in central Ukraine, reduced pig iron output by 16 percent to 389,000 tonnes and cut rolled steel production by 9.5 percent to 406,000 tonnes.
In 2010, the mill boosted steel production to 6.13 million tonnes from 5.04 million tonnes in 2009. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by David Cowell, sourced:reuters)
KIEV Feb 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine's industrial safety watchdog has suspended coal production at a mine belonging to the country's biggest steel mill ArcelorMittal Kryvy Rih (ISPA.AS: Quote) (MT.N: Quote), the company said on Monday.
The company declined to comment on the consequences of the suspension for its steel production.
Ukrainian media said that a possible destruction of a road which ran above the mine's working zone was the reason for the watchdog's decision. ArcelorMittal Kryvy Rih cut crude steel production to 450,000 tonnes in January 2011 from 534,000 in January 2010. [ID:nLDE70O1K2]
The plant, located in the city of Kryvy Rih in central Ukraine, reduced pig iron output by 16 percent to 389,000 tonnes and cut rolled steel production by 9.5 percent to 406,000 tonnes.
In 2010, the mill boosted steel production to 6.13 million tonnes from 5.04 million tonnes in 2009. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by David Cowell, sourced:reuters)
Ukraine issues 2010 coke import and export data
Monday, 07 February 2011 11:54:42 (GMT+2)
In 2010, Ukraine's coke exports increased by 59 percent to 1.466 million mt, valued at $444.5 million, while its coke imports went up by 22.4 percent to 305,510 mt, valued at $93.8 million, both compared to 2009. In December 2010, coke exports from Ukraine decresed by 39.5 percent month on month, but increased by 12 percent year on year to 122,980 mt, valued at $38 million. Of the country's total coke exports in December, deliveries included 26,010 mt to India, 25,750 mt to Slovakia, 23,280 mt to Iran, 11,460 mt to Turkey, 9,370 mt to Romania, 8,730 mt to Georgia, and 7,010 mt to Macedonia. On the other hand, in December 2010 Ukraine's coke import volume increased by 12 percent month on month, but decreased by 5.3 percent year on year, totaling 37,720 mt at a value of $12.2 million. Ukraine's coke import volume in December included 31,920 mt from Kazakhstan, 3,560 mt from Poland, and 2,230 mt from Russia.
Tags: raw mat, Ukraine , CIS , import /export statistics
In 2010, Ukraine's coke exports increased by 59 percent to 1.466 million mt, valued at $444.5 million, while its coke imports went up by 22.4 percent to 305,510 mt, valued at $93.8 million, both compared to 2009. In December 2010, coke exports from Ukraine decresed by 39.5 percent month on month, but increased by 12 percent year on year to 122,980 mt, valued at $38 million. Of the country's total coke exports in December, deliveries included 26,010 mt to India, 25,750 mt to Slovakia, 23,280 mt to Iran, 11,460 mt to Turkey, 9,370 mt to Romania, 8,730 mt to Georgia, and 7,010 mt to Macedonia. On the other hand, in December 2010 Ukraine's coke import volume increased by 12 percent month on month, but decreased by 5.3 percent year on year, totaling 37,720 mt at a value of $12.2 million. Ukraine's coke import volume in December included 31,920 mt from Kazakhstan, 3,560 mt from Poland, and 2,230 mt from Russia.
Tags: raw mat, Ukraine , CIS , import /export statistics
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