Mariupol Illich Steel Works (Donetsk region), part of Metinvest Group, has halted two blast furnaces over a lack of coke earlier supplied from Avdiyivka Coking Plant and two furnaces have been switched to the minimum loading.
“Avdiyivka Coking Plant is on the verge in the past 24 hours due to nonstop shelling. Supplies of coke to the Illich enterprise fell, and today this is our only supplier of coke. Today it is hard for us – only two blast furnaces out of four are operating,” Illich Steel Works Director General Yuriy Zinchenko wrote on his Facebook page on Jan. 31.
He said that Illich Steel Works’ main task in these conditions is to maintain the gas transportation system of the enterprise, as the operation of all technological aggregates depends on it.
“We have stocks of raw materials for two and a half days. This is enough for two furnaces at the minimum loading. We are holding up and hope that the situation in Avdiyivka would improve in the near term!” he said.
Metinvest told Interfax-Ukraine that Illich Steel Works has five blast furnaces, and one was halted for repair.
