Avdiivka Coke is based in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

Current status

As of October 2017, eight coke batteries of the plant’s four coke shops are in operation. The plant operates at its full capacity, with all structural units in operation. In May, Avdiivka Coke connected a new electricity line from the government-controlled area. Now the plant uses two power inputs.

Employees

On average, 95% of staff worked at the plant in October 2017.

Capacity utilization

On average, AKHZ utilised 91% of its production capacity in October 2017.

AKHZ has been shelled frequently since July 2014. More than 320 shells have exploded on its premises, killing seven employees and injuring more than fifty. The railway and maintenance shops suffered the most, and buildings and facilities were destroyed in almost every production shop. Every shellfire damaged supply infrastructure (gas and steam pipelines, power transmission lines), which affected the production process and core equipment. Moreover, the plant’s rolling stock and truck fleet were also damaged.

As of October 2017, the plant has done minimum necessary repairs to ensure full production. Avdiivka Coke is continuously repairing premises and facilities. The quality of rail service is acceptable, although the plant has had some logistic failures caused by Ukrzaliznytsia’s organisational problems and ongoing hostilities in Donbas.

The plant is helping to restore the damaged infrastructure and residential areas in Avdiivka by providing materials to repair private houses. Avdiivka Coke rebuilt 87 residential buildings damaged by shelling, restored 15 social facilities and provided construction materials to 135 private sector home owners to repair their houses. To this end, Metinvest Group channelled UAH 18 million.

The plant conducted repairs in 57 high-rise buildings by reconstructing facades, exterior and bearing walls and re-installing partition walls, stair flights, floor slabs and windows. Also, AKHZ repaired roofs of 20 residential buildings that were damaged by shells and replaced frozen central heating pipes at 10 buildings.

The town’s mainstay helped restore four kindergartens, three secondary schools, an evening school and a music school as well as a drinking water pumping station, district electricity networks and a central municipal hospital. In addition, AKHZ helped rebuild a local community centre, children’s creativity centre and Innovation and Development Centre.

The plant also supplied heating to the town: it overhauled the heat pipeline running from the plant to the town and provided the required materials to the local public utilities to repair and insulate exterior heating networks. Besides, Avdiivka Coke supplied heating to an Ukrtelecom local exchange, replaced the damaged communication lines in the maternity department of the central local hospital and helped utility companies repair heating systems in 16 high-rise buildings. Also, AKHZ bought 1,500 radiators to replace frozen heating pipes in the apartments of socially vulnerable citizens.

Avdiivka Coke continues to rebuild the social infrastructure in the town. In early March, it installed new windows for 160 families (primarily, for the elderly, people with disabilities, single mothers and large families).

Avdiivka Coke and SaveTheChildren international organisation are repairing a kindergarten, with total investments in the project reaching UAH 640,000. Thanks to the cooperation of the town’s mainstay and the international NGO, the kindergarten will have two rooms with adjacent hygiene facilities and a music room repaired.

In September 2017, the plant delivered on its promise to Avdiivka residents: it paid nearly UAH 29 million to the local budget, a half of costs need to build Ocheretyno — Avdiivka gas pipeline.