Gubakha arose in 1755 due to the discovery of iron ore in Krestovaya mountain. The village of Gubakha stood at the confluence of the Gubashka River into the Kosva River and served as a wharf for barges that transported iron ore from the upper Kosva to the Kama. In 1825 first coal was found in Gubakha on Krestovaya mountain where the first mine adit was laid. Initially coal mining was carried out in very limited extent, the coal was fused down the Kosva river to the smelting works. After the railway was built in 1879 the coal mining increased sharply.
In 1928 Gubakha was given a status of city settlement. In 1936 the first phase of the largest in the country and the first in the Urals coke producing plant - Gubakhinskiy coke plant - was started up. After repeated changes, by the middle of the 60's the suburban area of Gubakha had acquired its modern outline. On November 4, 1959, the town of Ugleuralsk was annexed to Gubakha.[8]
The town's economy includes several industrial facilities producing coke, chemicals, biochemicals, toys and power. An industrial base was built in Gubakha during World War II. Equipment from an evacuated nitrogen fertilizer plant was moved to Gubakha. Later, German reparations were used to increase the capital equipment in Gubakha. The plant was officially recognized as operational in 1955. During 1957 the plant may have been one of the first in Russia to operate a gas coke oven. In 1964 the plant began producing Methyl(ethyl)amines which are necessary for rocket fuel.
In 1993, the industrial association made up of the various chemical production facilities was reorganized into a joint stock company called Metrafrax. 51% of the company stock was sold to employees. Several agreements to build up waste treatment, expand and update the factory, and to build apartment blocks and a brewing facility were also concluded.[9]
The Kizel State Regional Power Plant is located in Gubakha.
Gubakha Coke has capacity to produce 1.3 million mt of metallurgical coke annually. The plant has never produced at capacity.[10]
Facilities
The town has a medical school and an orphanage.[11]
^SteelOrbis, OMK sells Gubakha Coke to Stroyservis, May 6, 2010, and Marchmont Capital Partners, UMC sells "$30m" Gubaka Coke to Stroyservice, May 11, 2010
Законодательное собрание Пермской области. Закон №416-67 от 28 февраля 1996 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Пермского края», в ред. Закона №504-ПК от 9 июля 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Пермской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Пермского края"». Вступил в силу с момента опубликования. Опубликован: "Звезда", №38, 12 марта 1996 г. (Legislative Assembly of Perm Oblast. Law #416-67 of February 28, 1996 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Perm Krai, as amended by the Law #504-PK of July 9, 2015 On Amending the Law of Perm Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Perm Krai". Effective as of the moment of publication.).
Законодательное собрание Пермского края. Закон №87-ПК от 28 августа 2012 г. «О преобразовании Северо-Углеуральского городского поселения и Широковского сельского поселения путём объединения с городским округом "Город Губаха"». Вступил в силу через десять дней после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Бюллетень законов Пермского края, правовых актов губернатора Пермского края, Правительства Пермского края, исполнительных органов государственной власти Пермского края", №35, 3 сентября 2012 г. (Legislative Assembly of Perm Krai. Law #87-PK of August 28, 2012 On the Transformation of Severo-Ugleuralsky Urban Settlement and Shirokovskoye Rural Settlement by Merging Them with the Urban Okrug of the "Town of Gubakha". Effective as of the day which is ten days after the day of the official publication.).