The metallurgical plant in Kryvyi Rih suspended rolling operations at the plant after a 600 square kilometer area was flooded as a result of the Kakhovka Reservoir dam failure on June 6, which left the civilian population and enterprises of the region without water.
Russian and Ukrainian authorities still disagree on the cause of the disaster, which is attributed to the explosions at the Kakhovskaya HPP.
However, the recovery status of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih was clarified following a special meeting of the European Business Association, which yesterday (June 14) ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih CEO Mauro Longobardo and Chief Financial Officer Sergey Plichko were present.
Plichko reported that ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih's water consumption had dropped from 2,500 cubic meters per hour to less than 1,000 cubic meters per hour. dam failure.
Working on "creative ideas"
Longobardo said the steelmaker is now working on "innovative, really creative ideas to deal with the current situation", adding that he is actively collaborating on projects to "create alternative sources of water supply" after a constructive dialogue with local authorities.
Longobardo said: “We are analyzing the possibilities of building new routes to use water from other reservoirs. To do this, we need certain equipment, pumping stations and time. At present, Kryvyi Rih still has certain water reserves, but in such conditions, our production level will not exceed 15-20 percent of capacity.”
He added: “Despite everything, we continue to work in Ukraine and feel the support of the global corporation ArcelorMittal. This year we are investing more than $130 million in production development.”
Indefinite recovery timeline
Plichko said that ArcelorMittal's mining activity in Kryvyi Rih remained stable as a result of the closed water supply cycle, stored after spring floods. However, he said that steel production would not return to previous levels for "some time".
Igor Syrota, chief executive of Ukrhydroenergo, Ukraine's main hydropower company, said the assessment of damage to the Kakhovka dam is still ongoing.
According to him, if the lower part of the hydraulic structure of the dam is not destroyed, the water level in the Kakhovka reservoir may remain at around six to seven meters. This would give hope that the water level will rise again to 12.7 meters, which is necessary to provide water to nearby cities.
“We will fight for every centimeter of water in the Kakhovka reservoir,” he said.
