On 21 February, Metinvest’s Pokrovske Coal commissioned the 11th longwall for coking coal in Block 10 of Pokrovske Colliery, which will enable the Group to produce almost 1Mt of coal.
Metinvest is an integrated group of steel and mining companies, which manages every link of the value chain, from mining and processing iron ore and coal to making and selling semi-finished and finished steel products across steel and mining production facilities.
Pokrovske Coal’s enterprises operating near the front line provide jobs for the Donetsk region’s residents and internally displaced people from different parts of Ukraine, as well as develop local communities, pay taxes, and support the country’s economy. As such, the launch of the new longwall, claims Metinvest, is a significant event for the region and the entire country.
Pokrovske Coal is the largest coking coal producer in Ukraine. It comprises several enterprises, the main ones being Pokrovske Colliery and Sviato-Varvarynsk Beneficiation Factory. The companies extract and enrich coking coal and sell coal concentrate. They are located on the border of the Dnipro and Donetsk regions. Pokrovske Coal manages Metinvest’s Ukrainian coal assets.
“The timely preparation of the new longwall is a positive result of the long, hard work of every employee of the business."
Andriy Akulich, CEO of Pokrovske Coal.
Andriy Akulich, CEO of Pokrovske Coal, commented: “The timely preparation of the new longwall is a positive result of the long, hard work of every employee of the business. This is a significant event for the entire team and contributes to a stable, confident future for us. People will be provided with jobs and salaries, which is crucial for teams operating in frontline regions. In addition, this is a significant contribution to maintaining Ukraine’s defence capability and replenishing budgets at all levels.”
Despite challenging mining and geological conditions, longwall no. 11 is claimed to be one of the most promising areas of Pokrovske Coal’s operations. The 242-metre-long face has reserves of 993kt of coal. The enterprise plans to produce up to 2.5kt of coal per day from it. The longwall reserves are expected to last for more than a year.
Since the beginning of 2024, Metinvest’s enterprises in Ukraine have mined around 698kt of coal, from which almost 373kt of concentrate have been produced. By the year-end, the Group plans to mine 5.3Mt of coal, produce 2.8Mt of concentrate and commission two more longwall faces.
To recap, Pokrovske Coal is constructing its 11th coal mining unit, which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2025.
Metinvest's strategic vision is to become a leading vertically integrated steel producer in Europe, delivering sustainable growth and profitability resilient to business cycles and providing investors with returns above the industry benchmarks. The Group has facilities located in: Ukraine, the EU, the UK and the US, as well as a sales network covering all key global markets.