KIEV, Feb. 20 – Zaporizhstal, Ukraine’s No. 5 steelmaker, is going ahead with plans to launch a pulverized-coal injection facility for its blast furnaces this year in order to stop using natural gas, the company reported Friday.

Zaporizhstal has started building the facility in 2008 and is working on schedule to launch the facility in operation in the third quarter of 2009 despite the global financial crisis and a major downturn in steel sector, the company said.