Abstract
As raw material for pitch production tar pitch is used, being one of the
by-products of carbonization of charge coal at by-product coke plants. Pitch
is used as binder both for anodic paste and electrode production, as well as
for pitch coke production.
Total capacity of Russian coal-tar pitch production is about 990 thousand
tons. JSC “ZSMK” and JSC “MMK” are the leading
manufacturers of the product in Russia. On the whole, pitch production has an
unstable character in Russia, and, at that, in 2004 a peak level of shipping
pitch production was recorded, which was for the first time over 700 thousand
tons.
Total capacity of Russian pitch coke production is about 415 thousand tons.
The leading manufacturer is the JSC “Severstal”. Pitch coke
production has evidently uneven character in Russia, variations being mainly
within the range of 220-245 thousand tons.
In Ukraine, total coal-tar pitch and pitch coke production capacity is 620 and
240 thousand tons respectively. Sharp increase of pitch production is very
characteristic in Ukraine in 2003-2004. The production of pitch coke tended to
decrease in Ukraine in 1997-2002 due to decreasing production at the JSC
“Zaporozhkoks”. In 2003-2004, an increase took place in the pitch
coke production.
The dynamics of pitch and pitch coke production in the CIS countries shows a
strong tendency to rise.
According to the forecast of the experts of "InfoMine", production of pitch
coke in Russia will be 255 thousand tons in 2008. As to Ukraine, an annual
rise in production of pitch coke is forecast, the amount of which can be 155
thousand tons.
According to the forecast of the experts of “InfoMine”, production
of pitch will be 750 thousand tons in 2008 in Russia. As to Ukraine, a
temporary decrease of production is forecast (in 2005), and further, an
increase by 2008. Kazakhstan' s pitch production, as we estimate, will be on
the stable level of about 55 thousand tons.
The import volume of pitch and pitch coke greatly vary from year to year, the
pitch deliveries being on the level of 124-244 thousand tons per year, those
for pitch coke being 84 to 176 thousand tons per year. Ukraine is the
principal supplier of pitch and pitch coke to Russia, the share of the total
supplies of pitch being 70% and of pitch coke 53% in 2004.
Average annual import prices vary greatly in Russia: the range is $131 to $227
per ton of pitch and $144 to $239 per ton of pitch coke. The pitch coke trend
shows a stable average dynamics of prices on the level of $200 per ton, and
pitch trend tends to decrease.
The characteristic feature of Ukrainian supplies in 2001-2002 was the prices
for exported pitch exceeding those for pitch coke due to evident depreciation
of the latter product. The prices for pitch coke and pitch exported from
Ukraine have been near the stable level during recent years.
“Apparent” consumption of shipping pitch in Russia has been on the
level of 845-850 thousand tons during the recent years, that of electrode
pitch, 540-565 thousand tons. Consumption of pitch coke varied rather greatly
in 2000-2003, the range was 300 to 390 thousand tons, and in 2004, the
consumption was over 400 thousand tons. The most part of the electrode pitch
and pitch coke is consumed by aluminium works for production of anode paste
and anodes. In Russia, the principal consumers of pitch are JSC
“KrAZ” and JSC “BrAZ”, of pitch coke - JSC
“NkAZ”, JSC “BAZ-SUAL” and JSC
“IrkAZ-SUAL”.
The demand for pitch on the home market will gradually rise, and, according to
the forecast of experts of “InfoMine”, its apparent consumption
can reach 1010 thousand tons per year by 2008 (if the plans of introducing new
aluminium works capacities would be realized). Growth rate of pitch coke
consumption is forecasted to be slower. At that, the experts of
“InfoMine” suppose that the “apparent” consumption of
pitch coke in Russia can be 475 thousand tons by 2008.
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