Metinvest crude steel output in 2012 hit by Azovstal, Ilyich declines

Metinvest’s crude steel production for 2012 suffered a double-digit drop from the previous year’s volumes as output declined at the Azovstal and Ilyich works, the Ukrainian group announced on Friday February 1.

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Total production for the year came to almost 12.5 million tonnes, down by 13% year-on-year from 14.4 million tonnes produced in 2011, Metinvest said.

Azovstal produced 18% less crude steel in 2012, at 4.6 million tonnes. It produced 5.58 million tonnes in 2011, according to group data. And Ilyich made 5.14 million tonnes of crude steel in 2012, reflecting a 16% decrease from the 6.12 million tonnes produced in 2011.

Blowing-in of blast furnace No3 at Metinvest’s Yenakievo works helped that unit to go against the trend, however. It showed a 2% rise in steel production to 2.73 million tonnes in 2012, from 2.67 million tonnes in the previous year, the group said.

In the last quarter of 2012 it was Ilyich that went against the trend with production of 1.2 million tonnes, a 12% increase from the 1.07 million tonnes produced in the previous quarter, Metinvest said.

Crude steel production at Yenakievo in the last three months of 2012 fell by 8% to 619,000 tonnes, from 676,000 tonnes in the third quarter, Metinvest figures showed.