What Stands Behind Chalk And Dolomite Production Boost In Russia?

In Russia, both chalk and dolomite production increased from 2007 to 2014, with a CAGR of 3% and 4%, respectively. This sustainable growth can be explained by a growing demand in a wide range of sectors, such as metallurgical, chemical, wood-working, glass, building and construction.

The regions with the highest levels of production in 2014 were the Central federal district (14,312 thousand tonnes), the Volga federal district (5,887 thousand tonnes) and the Ural federal district (1,218 thousand tonnes), which together accounted for 98% of total output.

The region with the largest production of chalk in absolute volumes was the Central Federal District (10.44 million tonnes), with a share of 67% and a CAGR of -2%.

The highest levels of dolomite production were registered in the Central and the Ural Federal Districts - over 1 million tonnes. The Volga Federal District was marked by active quarrying that resulted in extraordinarily high growth rates : an average growth rate of +37% in chalk output and +107% in dolomite output.

Norway and China were the main suppliers of chalk and dolomite into Russia, with a combined share of 43% of total imports in 2013. However, the fastest growing suppliers from 2007 to 2014 were Spain (+61% per year) and Italy (+29% per year). Norway significantly strengthened its position in the imports structure by 29 percentage points.

In 2014, Ukraine (47.3%), Kazakhstan (22.0%) and Belarus (16.5 %) were the leading destinations of Russian exports, together making up 85.8% of total exports in physical terms. While the share of Kazakhstan and Belarus increased, the share of Ukraine illustrated negative dynamics. The shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period. 

Source: EU: Chalk And Dolomite - Market Report. Analysis and Forecast to 2020