Russia's stainless steel production does not exceed 100,000 tonnes per year, consumption at around 370,000 tonnes - RSC

YEKATERINBURG. July 7 (Interfax) - Stainless steel production in Russia does not exceed 100,000 tonnes per year, with consumption at around 370,000 tonnes per year, the deputy general director for sales at Russian Stainless Company (RSC) Alexander Kolchin said.

Production of flat-rolled stainless steel by all Russian enterprises currently amounts to 35,000 tonnes.

"The key feature of the stainless flat-rolled steel market in Russia is over 90% imports at the moment," Kolchin said, noting that this situation is atypical for other segments of the steel market.

The Russian market has significant growth points. In Russia (as well as in Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan), the current consumption of stainless steel per capita is around 4 kg per year. At the same time, in Taiwan this figure reaches 50 kg, in South Korea it is 30 kg, in China it is 23 kg and in Japan it is 12 kg.

"Even if our consumption reaches the European level of 15 kg per person, the capacity of the Russian market would increase to 2 million tonnes, which is five times higher the current level," he said.

RSC is building a production complex in Volzhsky, Volgograd region, for the production of high-quality hot-rolled and cold-rolled flat-rolled stainless steel products and corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant, and heat-proof alloys with a capacity of up to 500,000 tonnes per year. In 2026, the company plans to launch the first phase of stainless steel production - a cold-rolled rolling shop.