A diary: Bringing steel from Ukraine to make pans in support of Unicef
24th of August 2022:
Ukraine independence day overshadowed by fear of Russian attacks
Kyiv celebrations cancelled over concerns of ‘Russian provocations’ :The Guardian,
The project starts: Netherton Foundry writes to a friend in Belgium, asking for help.........
Hi Michael, Random idea of the day. I would like to make a limited-edition prospector pan made from Ukrainian steel
We would be making a gesture, supporting Ukrainian people and industry/economy? Cheers Neil.
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30th August 2022.
EU to distribute 5m iodide tablets to Ukrainians amid nuclear risk
The European Commission has said it will donate 5.5m potassium iodide tablets to Ukraine amid fears that fighting in the area of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could lead to nuclear catastrophe: The Guardian.
With Michael's help, we find Svitlana, she's a project manager working for a steel stockholder / laser cutter based South of Kyiv. Our initial searches for metal weren't that promising!
After searches our supply department informed that now it's impossible to buy the mentioned steel in Ukraine. Do you have alternatives?
Best regards, Svitlana
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30th September 2022
Dozens feared dead after Russian strike on civilian convoy near Zaporizhzhia
Attack comes as Vladimir Putin prepares to publicly sign annexation orders for four Ukrainian regions: The Guardian.
Better news, Svitlana has found some carbon steel, it's a good specification. This is normally used for automotive and appliance industries and isn't required for defence.
Hello,
The mentioned steel is available in thickness 2 mm for plates.
The steel is made by Zaporizhstal is located in Zaporizhya, the city is controled by Ukraine, it's not occupied.
Best regards, Svitlana
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12th October 2022
Ukrainians urged to cut power consumption by 25% to avoid outages
Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, has appealed to citizens and businesses to reduce their electricity consumption during peak hours to avoid blackouts: The Guardian.
By mid October, we have agreed the specification and sizes, but getting the steel to the UK is proving difficult. Svitlana and Chritian come up with a plan to ship from Kjiv to Poland, Poland to Belgium and finally use a courier company to get to Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire.
Hello Michael,
When we send products to our warehouse they are EU customs cleared. For shipment of small packages to UK we work with UPS, TNT and for bigger shipments we work with .........
The goods can be shipped from Welkenraedt, Belgium on EXW or DAP terms. UPS and TNT may do import, so DDP UK can be used in this case.
We'll reply you regarding certificate of origin after receipt of a certificate from our steel supplier.
Best regards, Svitlana
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21st November 2022
Shelling of Zaporizhzhia is playing with fire, says UN nuclear chief, as blasts reported
Explosions cause damage at Ukrainian power plant: The Guardian.
We are beginning to wonder if we are asking too much!
Hi Svitlana,
We’re are aware that the continuous Russian bombing is creating havoc with the power supply. Could you confirm to us all the same the status of our order?
Thanks so much, Best rgds, Michael
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5th December 2022
Power outages in Sumy after wave of Russian missile strikes
Power has been knocked out in Sumy after the latest Russian missile strikes, according to the northern region’s energy provider.
However, the governor of the Kyiv region said its air defences were working there and told residents to remain in shelters. There were also reports of loss of power and water in Odesa after strikes there: The Guardian.
The carbon steel discs arrived this morning at our Cleobury works. We immediately checked the steel in and began work on it.
By lunchtime we'd spun, punched, riveted and branded the first 10 pans. In the afternoon they were shotblasted and transported up to Highley for seasoning tomorrow.
20 sheets in each parcel, initially we are making a small batch of 100 pans.
Our friends at DGC Engineering have made us a brand new sharp punch to pierce the tough carbon steel.
Each pan is stamped UKR....and here are the first ten ready for seasoning.
12th December 2022
Operations have resumed at the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa after Russia used Iranian-made drones to hit energy facilities in the city.
The port in the south of the country was closed after strikes on Saturday left 1.5 million people and all non-critical infrastructure without power.
Ukraine's president said it could take days to restore electricity, with sub-zero temperatures expected this week.: BBC News.
Listen to Claire Ashford discuss Ukrainain steel pans with Neil from Netherton Foundry on BBC Radio Shropshire.
