Sukha Balka plans to increase iron ore production by 20% in 2024

Sukha Balka mine, part of the DCH Group, plans to increase commercial iron ore production by 20% in 2024 compared to 2023, to 1.134 million tons. This was announced by Igor Piltek, Deputy CEO and Chief Engineer of the mine, according to the corporate newspaper DCH Steel.

In 2023, the company mined 1.082 million tons of raw ore, 941 thousand tons of commercial ore, and 12.918 thousand cubic meters of rock mass. The company completed 7,942 thousand meters of sinking operations and 140 km of deep wells. In 2023, Sukha Balka shipped 98% of its products for export.

«The domestic market has always been the main market for the mine, but after the enemy destroyed the Mariupol plants, the main consumers of ore raw materials, the company found itself in a difficult situation. But we managed to reorient ourselves to the European market and significantly increase exports,» said the mine’s CEO.

Today, almost all of the company’s products are shipped to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Serbia. To ensure that the raw materials meet the requirements of European customers, Sukha Balka changed the operation of the crushing and screening plant and increased the iron content in commercial ore to 61%.

«Exports are held back by market conditions and logistical difficulties. Mine products are delivered to customers mainly by rail transport. Now it is shipped without obstacles, but a significant increase in volumes is impossible due to the insufficient capacity of railway corridors on the border of Ukraine and limited sales markets,» he comments.

The lack of qualified personnel is also a significant problem. Currently, about 500 employees of the mine are defending Ukraine at the frontline.

Despite the challenges of wartime, Sukha Balka continues to invest in the future of the company. In 2023, the company resumed construction of a new 1500-meter horizon at Yubileynaya mine. To improve the efficiency of the cutting operations, the fleet of self-propelled equipment was replenished with four loading and delivery machines with bucket sizes of 1 m3 and 0.6 m3, a drill carriage, etc.

In 2024, the mine intends to increase production of commercial ore, in particular, due to the resumption of operations at the Frunze mine in the second half of 2023. Funds are allocated for capital repairs, construction and purchase of new equipment. In particular, in March, it is planned to replace the mine skip at Yubileynaya mine.

As GMK Center reported earlier, the mine produced almost 931 thousand tons of commercial iron ore in 2023. Last year, the company operated in the mode of maximum resource conservation. In particular, the company repaired equipment at industrial sites on its own and continued to implement the equipment modernization program.

Sukha Balka mine specializes in underground iron ore mining and has an annual capacity of about 3.1 million tons, and includes Yubileynaya and Frunze mines.