Metinvest Group is starting construction of a new metallurgical plant in the Italian city of Pembino. The project is being implemented jointly with Danieli on a parity basis. The planned capacity of the plant is 2.7 million tons of steel per year. Construction is scheduled to start at the end of 2025, with production set to begin in 2027.
This facility will serve as a testing ground for technological solutions that will then be implemented at Ukrainian plants Zaporizhstal and Kametstal. The initiative creates an additional load on the capacity of Ukrainian mining and processing companies, strengthening vertical integration. Financing is planned through loans – at least 70% of the total amount.
Danieli sees participation in the project as an opportunity to demonstrate its engineering and manufacturing technologies.
Innovations – digital solutions in production
In parallel with international initiatives, Metinvest is developing digital transformation in Ukraine. The Zaporizhstal plant has implemented the ForgeCheck tool, based on artificial intelligence. It detects defects in slabs and reduces energy consumption and the number of complaints. The economic effect of implementing the system can reach $250,000 per year.
According to Maxim Balanyuk, head of R&D at Metinvest Digital, the company has been testing various AI-based solutions since 2021. In 2025, it plans to launch the second generation of the tool into the industrial cycle.
Support for Ukraine
Since the beginning of the war, Rinat Akhmetov has allocated 11.3 billion hryvnias to support the country. The funds were used for humanitarian and military needs, restoration of energy infrastructure, and assistance to victims. The initiatives include:
- the transfer of body armor, drones, dugouts, and medical equipment as part of the Steel Front project;
- large-scale supply of vehicles, charging stations, special equipment, and over 5,000 UAVs;
- the production of lightweight bulletproof vests made of Metinvest’s own steel (more than 150,000 units);
- the development of steel field shelters (“kryivkas”), with over 300 already delivered to the Armed Forces;
- protective screens for military equipment and mobile “Lancet catchers” against kamikaze drones;
- the creation of more than 250 mock-ups of military equipment to mislead the enemy;
- financing the restoration of the energy system through the Battle for Light campaign (107 million euros raised with the support of the EU and the US);
- the work of the Azovstal Heart program, which supports the defenders of Mariupol and their families;
- humanitarian aid through the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation – food, medicine, housing, rehabilitation;
- charitable initiatives of the Shakhtar football club.
These actions complement the strategic activities of his companies, maintaining a balance between current support and long-term investments in the economy.
Rinat Akhmetov remains one of the most prominent figures combining industrial development with targeted support. His approach is not only about building new enterprises and introducing technologies, but also about systematic work to ensure the country’s stability during difficult times.
