Metinvest said in an announcement that the project will include a continuous cold mill, a pickling line and three state-of-the-art lines for zinc, aluminum zinc and polymer coatings. It will be designed to produce 1.2 million metric tons annually, but a second phase of construction after 2025 could lift that to more than 1.6 million metric tons. 

The second phase would include a new annealing furnace department, a skinpass mill and coil slitting line, as well as a galvanizing line.

“The cold rolling shop is our largest construction project for the next five years. It is a logical continuation of Ilyich Steel’s rolled product modernization program,” said Metinvest chief executive Yuriy Ryzhenkov. 

“With this entirely new technological chain — including the modern continuous casting machine, reconstructed hot strip mill 1700 and new cold rolling shop — Metinvest will be able to achieve world-class quality at all production stages, from semi-finished to coated rolled products.”

Metinvest said the plant will allow it to enter the premium galvanized and color-coated coil product segments.

Danieli chief executive Giacomo Mareschi Danieli said the plant will be equipped with the most advanced and environmentally friendly processing technology available.  

“This automated smart complex will be one of the few in the world that combines high product quality, low production costs and low emissions,” he said.