The Public Joint Stock Company “Pokrovsky Mining and Processing Plant” (PGZK, Dnipropetrovsk region) intends to significantly increase manganese concentrate production in 2026 to 220,000 tons, which is 3.44 times higher than the previous year’s figures.
This is reported by Finway
New Quarries and Implementation of Modern Technologies
According to the interim report of the plant for the fourth quarter of 2025, over the past year, the enterprise produced 63.9 thousand tons of manganese concentrate, totaling 342.138 million UAH, and sold 25.4 thousand tons for 216.309 million UAH.
PGZK plans to expand its customer base, considering the possibility of exporting to Switzerland and Georgia, in addition to its traditional partners – JSC “ZZF” and JSC “NZF”. This decision aims to improve the financial stability of the enterprise.
Starting in March 2026, the plant intends to put into operation the Chkalovsky Quarry No. 2, where rotor complexes No. 9 and No. 2 will operate, as well as walking excavators for manganese ore extraction. In April, the launch of the Northern Quarry is planned, involving rotor complex No. 4 and the corresponding quarry equipment.
“The plant plans to produce 220,000 tons of concentrate from ore extracted at Chkalovsky No. 2 and Northern quarries. The enterprise is considering the possibility of implementing new technologies in manganese ore extraction,” the report states.
Challenges for the Mining and Metallurgical Industry
Currently, PGZK is in a state of downtime, with JSC “NZF” and JSC “ZFZ” remaining its main clients. Product sales are conducted through direct contracts with consignees, primarily in the domestic market.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the mining and metallurgical industry in Ukraine experienced a further slowdown in production rates. The reasons for this included rising electricity tariffs, increased logistics costs, and a shortage of skilled labor due to mobilization. Additionally, unjustified tariff increases by state monopolies in railway transportation and electricity, as well as risks associated with maritime transportation due to ongoing aggression from the Russian Federation, negatively impacted the situation. All these factors pose a threat to the loss of export and tax revenues for the state and thousands of jobs, especially in frontline regions.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the average number of PGZK’s employees was 1,451, with 9 individuals working outside the staff, four on a part-time basis, and 9 employees on a part-time schedule. The payroll fund during this period amounted to 57.625 million UAH.
It is worth noting that PGZK and Marganetsky GZK, which are part of the “Privat” group, halted the extraction and processing of raw manganese ore at the end of October – beginning of November 2023. In 2024, PGZK was unable to resume operations due to decreased demand for ferroalloys and a shortage of electricity.
In the first half of 2025, the plant extracted and processed 22.87 thousand tons of manganese ore.