In 2023, Metinvest Group's steelmakers in Ukraine introduced 25 new products, including 14 new products launched jointly with Zaporizhstal JV.

Metinvest remains the country's economic and industrial pillar despite the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that began almost two years ago. The Group's companies launched new products, partially compensating for production of the assets in temporarily occupied Mariupol.

Most of the new products are semi-finished products, hot-rolled coils and sections (7 each), as well as cold-rolled and galvanised coils (2 each).

Zaporizhstal and Kamet-Steel account for the lion's share of the new products. The Group's producer of galvanised steel, Unisteel, launched two new products.   

Semi-finished products

Zaporizhstal launched the S235, S275 and S355 grade slabs of various sizes. These products are supplied to Metinvest's European companies to be rolled into hot-rolled plates and coils.   Meanwhile, Kamet-Steel introduced two types of square billets – continuously cast and hot-rolled – of new grades that meet more stringent requirements for the structure and properties. Now, the steelworks uses such semi-finished products in-house to make rolled sections and wire rod and supplies them to customers in Ukraine and Europe.  

Hot-rolled, cold-rolled and galvanised coils and sheets

For construction and engineering industries, Zaporizhstal introduced seven types of rolled products manufactured in accordance with European, American and Ukrainian standards. In particular, the steelworks launched the S355J2 grade coils according to the European standard EN 10025-2 and its Ukrainian equivalent DSTU EN 10025-2. The products passed tests and received confirmation of compliance from the international certification centre. The S355J2 grade hot-rolled products made in Zaporizhzhia are already successfully supplied to Poland, Romania and other European countries.

This year, Zaporizhstal also launched cold-rolled coils of the S320GD and S350GD structural steel grades for galvanising. Previously, Ilyich Iron & Steel Works of Mariupol supplied such semi-finished products for protective coating. The launch of the said products at Zaporizhstal enabled Unisteel to resume production and deliveries of galvanised structural steel coils designed for use in building steel structures. 

Zaporizhstal and Unisteel unlocked yet another avenue for enhanced cooperation. In 2023, the cold rolling shop finalised the launch of the technology for cutting galvanised coils to sheets, enabling to increase the sales of such products on the domestic market. 

Sections

New products in this segment are the accomplishment of Kamet-Steel's employees.  The company started production of steel grinding balls with diameters of 25 and 100 mm and the SVP27 profile for the mining and metals sector.

The steelworks also launched two types of wire rod: with a diameter of 7.5 mm of the SAE 1008 grade according to the American standard and with a diameter of 8 mm of the European С80D2 steel. The products are used for drawing into wire and manufacturing ropes and hardware.

In addition, Kamet-Steel introduced А500С rebar with a diameter of 36 mm. Such rolled steel is in demand for critical construction and infrastructure projects and used in bridges, shelters and multi-storey buildings.  For the engineering industry, the plant set up serial production of hot-rolled round steel with a diameter of 42 mm, which is used to create parts and structural elements of machinery.