Zaporizhstal of Metinvest Group continues to implement its annual capital investment programme to maintain production capacities and environmental protection equipment. The plant has completed a major overhaul of the main production units in the blast furnace shop, open-hearth shop, and hot rolling shop, with a total budget of UAH 370 million.
"The domestic mining and metals sector is one of the export-oriented industries of the Ukrainian economy that has suffered the most during the war. We are focused on survival because it is preserved production that will form the basis for future modernisation and development projects. Repairs and proper maintenance of production facilities are an important contribution to ensuring stable operations at Zaporizhstal today and in the future," said Taras Shevchenko, Acting General Director of Zaporizhstal, Hero of Ukraine.
The plant has completed a range of repairs across its main production divisions: blast furnace No. 3 and its gas cleaning system, the aspiration systems of the casting yard and hopper trestle in the blast furnace shop, the two-bath steelmaking unit and its gas cleaning system in the open-hearth shop, the 1150 slabbing mill and the BTLС-1680 mill, as well as shears and tong cranes in the hot rolling shop. The work was carried out around the clock, involving more than 400 specialists, including employees of engineering functions and personnel of Zaporizhstal production units, as well as experts from Zaporizhzhia Refractories, Kamet-Steel, and contracting organisations.
At blast furnace No. 3, repairs covered the units of the cone-less charger, the hydraulic and electrical equipment of the casting yard, the combustion chamber and hot-blast stove equipment. Inspections and repairs of metal structures and charge-feeding components were completed, along with repairs to the rail tracks of the hopper trestle and skip hoist. Maintenance of the furnace gas cleaning mechanisms, dust catcher, and air ducts in the aspiration system was performed to ensure high-efficiency cleaning of process air from dust at 20 mg/m³.
As part of the two-bath steelmaking unit repair programme, the main roof and working area of the furnace were relined. Zaporizhzhia Refractories supplied more than 800 tonnes of refractory chamotte and periclase-chromite products for this purpose. Inspections, repairs, and partial replacement of the supporting metal structures of the two-bath steelmaking unit No. 1 were also carried out, along with maintenance of key gas cleaning units such as cyclones, spray systems, and gas ducts.
At the 1150 slabbing mill, repairs were completed on the universal stand and its electric drive, roller tables, pressing units for horizontal and vertical rolls, and the turntable units with platform replacement. Electrical and power equipment were inspected, and control panels were repaired. At the BTLS-1680 mill, specialists carried out inspections and upgrades of the roughing and finishing stands, the "coil-box" intermediate coiling system, roller tables, and units in the machine room and coiling section, as well as repairs of communication networks and electric motors.
The completed major overhauls are aimed at increasing the reliability and efficiency of the units, reducing defects in production, and cutting energy losses. As a reminder, this year Zaporizhstal will also carry out a complex of major overhauls of key units of the heat and power plant — boiler unit No. 5, turbine generator unit No. 1, and turbo compressor unit No. 7. The plant has allocated about UAH 75 million of investments for these purposes. Overall, despite the challenging economic situation, the capital investment budget for 2025 exceeds UAH 1 billion.