Rinat Akhmetov brings Metinvest to the European market

The metallurgical group announced the construction of a steel plant in Pembino, Italy, with a capacity of 2.7 million tons of steel per year. The project will start at the end of 2025, with the first products by the end of 2027. This is not just a business expansion, but a strategic move for the entire Ukrainian metallurgy.

The partner is the Italian Danieli – on equal terms. For Metinvest, this is an opportunity to test new technologies before modernizing the Ukrainian Zaporizhstal and Kametstal. 70% of the financing will be through loans – the banks believe in the project.

Help for Ukraine

During the full-scale war, Rinat Akhmetov allocated 11.3 billion hryvnias to help Ukraine. The funds are directed according to clear priorities: humanitarian support for the affected regions, assistance to displaced persons, providing the Ukrainian military with the necessary equipment.

Rinat Akhmetov's Foundation https://akhmetovfoundation.org/en works with those affected by the war, and the Steel Front collects aid for the Ukrainian Armed Forces from all the group's enterprises. This is a systematic work that has been ongoing since the first days of the invasion. 

Artificial intelligence is already working in production

While they are building in Italy, the ForgeCheck AI system is being implemented at Zaporizhstal. It monitors the quality of slabs in real time, identifying defects before the products reach the customer. Savings – up to 250 thousand dollars per year on just one tool. Maksym Balanyuk from Metinvest Digital says: the company has been testing AI solutions since 2021. The launch of the second version of the system is planned for 2025. Technologies help not only control quality, but also reduce energy consumption.

Technologies for future recovery

The Italian plant will bring additional orders to Ukrainian mining and processing plants – iron ore and concentrates will be in demand. For the Italian partner Danieli, the project serves as a demonstration platform: they will build, demonstrate the capabilities of their technologies and exit the business.

Development strategy in wartime

Construction of a plant in Europe is an investment in the future of Ukrainian metallurgy. While the war is going on, the company does not stop developing, but prepares for recovery. New technologies tested in Italy will help to quickly modernize Ukrainian enterprises after the victory.

Rinat Akhmetov continues to develop business and at the same time support the country. Each project is now assessed not only in terms of economic efficiency, but also the benefits for Ukraine. The Italian plant will become a bridge between Ukrainian technologies and the European market, and the implementation of AI in production is already yielding measurable results. The war changed priorities, but did not stop development. Metinvest continues to invest in technologies that will be useful in restoring the Ukrainian industry.

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