Russian Metal Industry Continues to Shine

The revival of the global economy, increasing price of metals and cost competitiveness of large, vertically integrated companies are adding sheen to the Russian metal industry. In 2010, metallurgy and metal products generated over four times higher revenues than the mining industry.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (industrialautomation.frost.com), Overview of the Russian Metal Industry, finds that the industry produced 76.2 million tonnes of raw metals in 2010 and estimates this to reach 129 million tonnes in 2017. The research covers among others,non-ferrous metal aluminium. “Although the metal industry has been growing for decades, it is still maintaining a dynamic pace and is likely to experience a CAGR of approximately 7.8% in terms of volume during 2011-2017,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Monika Nowotnik. “It is still developing due to new exploration projects supported by the privately owned companies as well as by the Russian Government.”

The global demand for metals is anticipated to rise gradually due to the revival of the world economy. The metal industry is highly dependent on demand from its largest end-user industries, including construction, transportation, automotive and electronics. The recovery of these end-user industries in 2010 has boosted the demand for metals.

Large, vertically integrated Russian companies offer significant cost advantages. As Nowotnik remarks,”one of the most significant advantages of the Russian metal industry is the low cost of metal production. This, in turn, is due to the abundance of metal resources, the low cost of energy generation and the large pool of well-qualified yet low cost labour.”

On the other hand, these companies face various restraints, such as low domestic demand for metal products, escalating energy costs and lack of investments.

“Overall, the Russian metal industry needs significant investments for infrastructure and technology development,” states Nowotnik. “New infrastructure should include modern plants, up-to-date equipment as well as improved transport infrastructure, especially in Far East Siberia.”

In addition, in Russia companies focus on increasing revenues and output, rather than on creating value-added products. This will prove a significant challenge in the long term, as the metal industry is currently dependent on volatile global markets due to the low domestic demand for metal products.

“The prices of high value, processed metal goods are less dependent on economic fluctuations in the global market,” explains Nowotnik. “Also, the country’s economy is likely to become more stable due to the well-developed manufacturing of high value-added products.”

Rising energy prices will also impact the metal industry. Therefore, companies should focus on developing innovative,’green’ technologies, in order to support lower energy usage, while limiting waste generation and pollution. “In the long term, modern technologies will enable the Russian metal industry to remain cost-competitive,” concludes Nowotnik.

The growing opportunities offered by the Eastern European region will be analysed by Frost & Sullivan in the next Emerging Markets Growth Series Analyst Briefing,”Eastward Bound: Charting the Rise of Opportunities in Poland and Russia”. The briefing will be held tomorrow, Tuesday 27 September 2011, at 16.00 BST.