Ukraine increased exports of granulated slag to the EU by 53% y/y in 2023

In 2023, Ukraine increased its exports of granulated slag to the European Union by 53% compared to 2022, to 367 thousand tons. Thus, the country became the fourth largest supplier of this building material to the EU market. This is stated in a press release from Recycling Solutions.

Of the total exports of Ukrainian granulated slag to the EU in 2023, 324.5 thousand tons (+47.5% y/y) were supplied by Recycling Solutions.

44% of construction admixtures sold by Recycling Solutions were exported. The largest volumes were exported to Poland and Slovakia. Ukrainian consumers received 407.2 thousand tons of granulated slag (+69% y/y).

«We have managed to attract new customers and expand our sales market despite the fact that the European construction sector is going through a crisis. Europe lacks its own similar raw materials, and Ukraine can meet the demand of European producers. For us, this is an opportunity to support the national economy and ensure foreign currency inflows to the country,» comments Vadym Khoroshko, Director of Construction Additives at Recycling Solutions.

The total volume of granulated slag imports to the EU countries in 2023 amounted to 3.35 million tons. The leading suppliers are Japan (1.2 million tons), China (0.7 million tons), Turkey (0.7 million tons) and Ukraine.

«The main consumers of this product are cement plants, which are currently operating unstably due to lower demand. On the other hand, the launch of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in October 2023 has a positive impact on the waste and by-products market. A new cement production season begins in the spring, in which Recycling Solutions expects demand to remain at the level of 2023,» the report says.

In Ukraine, the demand for construction admixtures is driven by reconstruction projects and the emergence of small tenders for road resurfacing. In 2023, Recycling Solutions sold 363.3 thousand tons of dump slag, which is used for road construction and quick repairs.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in March 2023, Kametstal resumed shipments of blast furnace granulated slag to domestic and European customers. Granulated slag is produced as a result of rapid cooling of blast furnace slag in a water-filled granulation pool. The product is then shipped to the warehouse, from where it is transported by special equipment to a crane overpass for loading into gondola cars for further transportation.