Economy

The existing economy structure has historically developed with a view to a powerful production potential, a convenient geographic location, and the availability of qualified personnel. More than 94,000 business entities with all forms of ownership have been registered within the Chelyabinsk Oblast.

The key activities in the production sector are metals industry, engineering, and processing operations.
Following the results of 2008, the gross regional product volume has amounted to 659 billion Rubles, which is 13% higher than the last year’s figure.

The total growth of labour efficiency has amounted to 11.7%; machines and equipment output has grown by 8%; transportation vehicles, by 2%.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metals industry

These are the leading sectors of the Chelyabinsk Oblast that are unequalled in Russia.

The key areas of metals production in the Chelyabinsk Oblast are:

The ferrous metals industry is the basis of the Chelyabinsk economy

The key target of the Chelyabinsk Oblast metals industry development is to perform the upgrade of works and start producing import-substituting products as soon as possible.The Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works is the leader of the modernization.  35 billion Rubles have been allocated for the construction of a new workshop with a 5000 rolling mill for the production of large diameter pipes and a continuous casting machine for prefabs.

Engineering

The industry includes plants that produce transportation machines, railway rolling stock – locomotives, tram cars, metals production equipment, tractors, cargo vehicles, process equipment, rocket-and-space equipment, and electrical products.

Power generation

The Oblast has 7 operational power generation plants that make it possible to cover more than 70% of the region’s total electric power requirements. All the power is generated by heat power plants that run on coal and fuel oil. The total capacity of power generation plants that are located within the Chelyabinsk Oblast is nearly 5,000 MW.
The priority tasks in the Oblast's fuel and energy sector are efficient reforms, technical renovation and upgrade, and creation of new generating facilities.
The key electric power producer is Fuel and Generation Company No. 10.
93.4% of its shares belong to Fortum, a Finnish concern. It has been scheduled to build 2 new TPP’s running on local coal using the resources of FGC 10.

Agriculture

The share of agricultural industry sector in the gross regional product amounts to nearly 10%. The Oblast ranks 4th in Russia in terms of annual poultry breeding output volume – 137 thousand tons of meat. Livestock farming (55.2%) and crop production (44.8%) account for the major part of agricultural industry products.

The South Urals livestock farming is capable of providing the consumers with ecologically pure products