2016 mining plans for DTEK Dobropolyeugol mines (except for Belozerskaya mine) have been decreased to 3.1 million tons due to the excess of gas coal in Ukraine as the result of the drop in electricity output.
“Industrial manufacture fell by 18%, so the electricity consumption dropped as well. And the thermal power stations had to decrease electricity output the most – by 28%. And they are our main consumers. So Pavlogradugol and Dobropolyeugol cannot sell the coal they have mined. We can’t keep it at warehouses, as it decreases in price due to the quality drop, and it can also ignite. Last year some half a million tons of coal wasn’t purchased from us. This year it could be 1.5 million tons. In this respect all we can do is decrease output”, said DTEK Dobropolyeugol CEO Yuri Cherednichenko. (Ukrainian Metal)