ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih Halts Steel Production over Power Outage
Strategic Research Institute
Published on :
25 Nov, 2022, 5:38 am
Ukrainian steelmaker ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih has suspended most production processes due to Russia's massive missile attack on energy infrastructure on 23 November, which resulted in an electricity shortage in Ukraine. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih said “The available electricity volumes are not sufficient to support production, even at the level of 20% of capacity. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih has temporarily halted the production of steel and rolled products. At this time, the coke oven batteries No. 5, 6 continue to operate, two more coke oven batteries No. 3, 4 and the blast furnace No 6 are in the keep-warm mode. Both the company’s quarry and the GOK plant are de-energized. It will return to normal operation as soon as the specialists manage to restore the energy infrastructure of Ukraine.”
Ukrainian electricity transmission company Ukrenergo said “As of 7 PM, electricity producers covered about 50% of consumption needs in the country. A considerable amount of thermal power plants and hydroelectric power plants are already operating, and all nuclear power plants, except for the Zaporozhye NPP, are gradually gaining power," Ukrainian media outlets said, citing information posted on Ukrenergo's social networks on Thursday evening.”
The company explained the power shortage by the fact that the nuclear power plants producing half of electricity for the country are returning to operations as slowly as it is technologically necessary after the forced shutdown.
Russia launched the first massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine on 10 November. As a result of the shelling, approximately 70 facilities were damaged, 29 of which were critical infrastructure facilities. On November 15, the Russians launched another massive attack on energy facilities. The attack on the energy system is the largest since the beginning of Russian aggression. As a result of a massive rocket attack by the Russian Federation on November 23, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure facilities have been damaged, emergency shutdowns are in place in all regions, and electricity has been cut off in many settlements since yesterday.