ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih has resumed operation of coke oven battery No. 5

After 483 days of downtime, the ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih steelworks restarted coke oven battery No. 5 in coke shop No. 1. On October 20, the first batch of coal charge was loaded into furnace No. 502, and on October 22, the first coke was produced. This moment marked the official resumption of the unit’s operation after hot preservation and large-scale repairs carried out due to damage during last year’s blackout, according to the company’s press release.

Currently, all 57 chambers of the battery are fully loaded, and stable production has begun. One chamber produces about 23 tons of gross coke, and the plant is expected to reach its design capacity with a coking period of 24-30 hours within two weeks. Fourteen new coke oven operators have been trained to work on the modernized equipment.

The repair work took over a year. It was carried out by employees of the Kryvyi Rih Mining and Metallurgical Consortium (KGMK) under the supervision of the plant’s specialists. The tamping and loading machine (TZM), gas collector system, pipelines, door frames, cranes, and electrical equipment were completely restored, and the furnace shoulders were treated with refractory material, which reduced emissions during start-up.

Anatoliy Kolupayko, head of coke oven shop No. 1, emphasized that this project was both a test and an example of the team’s cohesive work.

“For our team, the repair of CB No. 5 was both a test and an opportunity to gain unique experience. Many thanks to everyone who participated in this complex repair: the investment team, the automated control system, the technologists, those who carried out the equipment setup and hot tests. Everyone worked towards a single result,” he added.

The restoration of coke oven battery No. 5 was an important milestone in stabilizing the operation of the enterprise, which continues to restore its full production cycle after the consequences of the 2024 energy attacks.

On June 23, 2024, as a result of rocket attacks on the energy infrastructure of Kryvyi Rih, a blackout occurred in the city and at ArcelorMittal. As a result, the machine room at CC No. 1 stopped working, there was no water, the supply of necessary chemicals was interrupted, and the extraction of coke oven gas from all coke oven batteries in the workshop ceased. Since the technological process was ongoing at CB No. 5 at that moment, the unit suffered significant damage to equipment and infrastructure, which made it impossible to continue operating without major repairs.

It should be noted that in 2024, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, despite significant difficulties, was able to increase production of all types of products compared to 2023. In particular, pig iron output grew by 42.7% y/y – to 2.17 million tons, and steel output grew by 69.9% y/y – to 1.65 million tons. Rolled metal output amounted to 1.53 million tons, which is 72.1% more y/y.

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is a full-cycle steel enterprise in Ukraine. Its production capacity is designed for an annual output of over 6 million tons of steel, 5 million tons of rolled products, and 5.5 million tons of pig iron. The enterprise provides over 20,000 jobs.