OREANDA-NEWS. Metinvest Group, an international vertically integrated steel and mining group of companies, invested UAH 2.86 billion to develop plants of its Mining Division within the group's long-term investment programme 2013.

Investments in capital construction and overhauling amounted to about UAH 2.3bn with key projects being:

further introducing a cyclic-continuous technology at Pervomaiskiy open-pit of Northern GOK

reconstructing a roaster at Northern GOK

iron-bearing sand mining at Central GOK

developing an integrated production safety system at Krasnodonugol (Stage 2)

introducing an advanced technology for degasification using controlled drilling at Krasnodonugol mines

modernising a system for gas content monitoring at Krasnodonugol mines

introducing local tracking systems at Krasnodonugol mines

introducing a cyclic-continuous technology at Komsomolskoye Ore Mining

In 2013, the Group invested UAH 534m to purchase the mining equipment for plants of Metinvest Mining Division including 19 large dump trucks, 3 drilling rigs, 1 excavator, 5 bulldozers, an electric locomotive and 40 dump cars for Northern, Central and Ingulets GOKs. Metinvest also acquired 7 coal-cutting machines, 7 conveyors, 2 rock loading machines for Krasnodonugol and one large dump truck for Komsomolskoye Ore Mining.

"The continuous investment programme that Metinvest has pursued for its mining businesses along with the effective work of employees deliver significant results as 2013 performance of a number of plants of the Division top our records set over the last seven years. We have taken a very good pace to achieve higher production efficiency, better safety and working conditions, lower energy and production costs. Many of our 2013 projects established a solid basis for the efficient operation of plants for many years," said Nikolay Ishchenko, Director of Metinvest Mining Division.