According to the Ukrainian Iron and Steel Industry Association, due to the conflict between Russia-Ukraine conflict, power shortages have affected the operation of iron and steel enterprises, forcing them to temporarily suspend or reduce production. In 2022, Ukraine’s crude steel production decreased by 71% year-on-year to 6.263 million tons. The production of pig iron decreased by 70% to 6.391 million tons, and the production of steel decreased by 72% to 5.35 million tons.
The two steel mills Azovstal and Illich Steel owned by Metinvest in Mariupol were destroyed, and the war also disrupted the logistics chain, cutting off traffic between Ukraine and Black Sea ports.
Zaporizhstal is the second largest steel plant in Ukraine, which suspended operations in November after a power infrastructure strike and resumed operations in early December. The factory produced 1.491 million tons of steel in 2022, a year-on-year decrease of 62%. The production of pig iron decreased by 54% to 2.01 million tons, and the production of rolled products decreased by 60% to 1.304 million tons.
