Russia’s Mechel increased its rails sales by 8pc to 300,000mt in 2020 on an annual basis. Russian Railways was the leading consumer of the company’s product, purchasing 234,000mt or 78pc of the total sold. The remaining 12pc of rail went to other Russian consumers and export consumers.
Mechel produces railway and switch-point rails in its Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant and subway conductor rails in and Izhstal. The Chelyabinsk plant exported to Latin America and Georgia for the first time. Izhstal’s supplies of conductor rails increased by 27pc in 2020 compared to the previous year as it received certification for the product that expanded sales potential to CIS member states.
The Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant has shipped over 1.5 mn mt of rails to domestic and international partners since it was installed. The company’s chief executive officer Andrey Ponomarev stated that the plant will also be producing new types of rails to expand the product range, which in turn will reflect in additional sales volumes and revenue.