KYIV. Dec 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) - ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) has started building the second continuous-casting machine and a ladle furnace with an annual capacity of 1.4 million tonnes of steel investing over $100 million.

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih CEO Paramjit Kahlon said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine last week the company has not yet selected the supplier of the equipment.

The enterprise intends to finish the project in Q2 2018.

He added that the enterprise continues modernizing other facilities, particularly the converter shop, investing in rolling mills and building other new facilities.

"We have built one coke-oven battery. We will build another one. Only we in Ukraine are building coke-oven batteries. Total investment is $170 million," Kahlon said.

"We are doing our best to finish modernization as soon as possible," the top manager said.

He said that there is a lack of skilled staff, in particular, contractors do not have them. This slows the implementation of investment projects. Kahlon urges the state to pay attention to training of employees and not to strangle business. Otherwise nothing positive would be seen, he said.