Posted on 28 Sep 2023
Two steelmakers, Azovelektrostal and Azovmash, based in Mariupol, occupied by Russia, are in the process of resuming operations, according to Russian steel media portal Metalinfo, citing the press service of the self-declared Donetsk Republic Government.
Both companies ceased production with the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and their equipment and infrastructure were significantly affected by the war.
Before the Russian occupation in February 2022, Azovelektrostal was involved in steel billet production, having an electric arc furnace with a capacity of approximately 30,000 tonnes/month of steel.
By July 2023, the area of Azovelektrostal had been cleared of mines to conduct an initial technical and economic audit. This enabled the partial resumption of operations through the refurbishment of two nine-tonne furnaces, although securing a reliable power supply remained challenging, Kallanish understands.
Azovmash was the largest full-cycle research and production engineering complex in Ukraine, specialising in the production of railway cars and tanks, metallurgical equipment, port and industrial cranes, as well as other products.
In March 2022, due to hostilities, operations at the enterprise were halted, and the infrastructure suffered significant damage. However, some of the equipment was salvaged. By the end of March 2023, the mine clearance process at the enterprise was 80% completed, and some of the equipment had been restored.
Source:Kallanish
