The sea export of Ukrainian ore can reach 3 million tons per month
2.01.2024 - 17:20
Under the condition of stable operation of the sea corridor, the export of ore in the first quarter of 2024 may reach 2-3 million tons per month.
The CEO of Metinvest Group Yurii Ryzhenkov said this in an interview with Forbes Ukraine.
“We expect that by the end of the first quarter of 2024, the export of ore by sea will reach its maximum — 2-3 million tons per month for all Ukrainian producers. Before the war, only “Metinvest” delivered a maximum of 2 million tons of ore per month. However, there remains potential for expansion of other types of products of Ukrainian exporters: metals, coal, cement,” Yurii Ryzhenkov emphasized.
According to him, before the opening of the Mining and Processing Plant products temporary corridor, the Group exported products to the countries of Eastern Europe, and now they are expanding their geography, sending ore to Southern Europe, Italy, Turkey, and Egypt. At the same time, the key market is China.
“If the corridor will work stably, then there is a possibility to increase the load of MPP to the level of about 75-80% by the end of the first quarter. This level of workload is the maximum until the end of the war. We do not have enough workers. Someone went abroad, 8,000 of our employees are in the ranks of the Armed Forces. There is no way to cover this deficit in order to further increase production,” the top manager explained.
He summarized that now more than 50% of the Group’s exports go through the ports of Great Odesa. Before the opening of the sea corridor, almost 100% of “Metinvest” exported by rail.
