The main pipe enterprises of Ukraine in January-May this year increased production of pipes from ferrous metals, according to recent data, by 15.8% compared to the same period last year, to 385,000 tonnes, including 96,900 tonnes produced in May.
According to a press release of the Ukrtruboprom association on Wednesday, in particular, the enterprises of the association during this period increased pipe production by 11.8%, to 249,500 tonnes, including 67,000 tonnes produced in May, having raised production by 53.3% compared to the same period last year and by 17.3% compared to April this year.
“Ukrainian pipe enterprises continue to increase production,” the press release said.
At the same time, it is specified that the positive dynamics is demonstrated by Interpipe Niko Tube, which over the five months has increased output of pipe products by 46.1%. At the same time, Centravis cut production by 8.6% and Interpipe Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant by 21.3%, while Trubostal kept pipe production at last year’s level.
At the same time, Dnipropetrovsk Pipe Plant continues to be idle.
General Director of Ukrtruboprom Heorhiy Polsky noted that the growth of production at pipe enterprises began in March and has continued for the third month in a row.
“The positive dynamics in May was mainly due to the continued favorable situation in foreign markets. The increase and subsequent stabilization of oil prices led to an increase in demand for oil and gas pipes, and the end of winter has intensified the consumption of pipe products for construction purposes. An important positive factor was also the removal in different countries of restrictions related to the spread of COVID-19,” the press release said, citing the General Director.
At the same time, Polsky noted that demand within Ukraine continues to stagnate: hydrocarbon production is falling, and the renewal of housing and communal services has stalled. In this regard, Ukrainian pipe manufacturers are forced to rely on export markets.
“It is also necessary to note the sharp rise in the price of Ukrainian strip, which affected the plants producing welded pipes. In the spring, prices for this metal product rose by almost half. As a result, the pipe enterprises were unable to quickly shift the growth of costs during pricing, that is why they lost orders and reduced production,” the head of Ukrtruboprom said.
A source in the industry, not a member of the Ukrtruboprom association, told Interfax-Ukraine that Mariupol-based Illich Iron and Steel Works over the five months of 2021 increased pipe production by 10.8%, to 64,500 tonnes ( in May – 14,300 tonnes), and Kominmet increased pipe production by 38.7%, to 71,000 tonnes (15,600 tonnes).
According to its information, which was confirmed by Interpipe, since April of this year, the pipe rolling production at Interpipe Nyzhniodniprovsky Pipe Rolling Plant has formally become a part of Interpipe Niko Tube.
Transit of gas through Ukraine should remain even after the construction of Nord Stream 2, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.
Maas told journalists in Berlin on Wednesday that Chancellor Angela Merkel told Russian President Vladimir Putin long ago that for Germany, the completion of the construction of Nord Stream 2 is associated with the need for further gas transit through Ukraine.
According to him, nothing will change in Germany’s position in this regard.
Over the past day, June 8, some 53,161 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Ukraine, the total number of immunized people was 1,328,070, the press service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reports.
“Some 53,161 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 per day on June 8, 2021. A total of 43,925 people received one dose, 9,236 people were fully immunized,” the official Telegram channel of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine said on Wednesday morning.
The department said that 485 mobile teams and 624 vaccination points worked during the day.
“As of June 9, 2021, some 659,473 people signed up for the COVID-19 vaccination waiting list,” it reported.
Since the beginning of the vaccination campaign 1,328,070 people have been vaccinated, of which 1,328,068 people received one dose, some 161,378 people were fully immunized and received two doses (two of them received one dose abroad). A total of 1,489,446 vaccinations were carried out.
The Ukrainian industrial company Interpipe proceeds to expand its presence in the export markets, signing a three-year contract with Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (SNIM) for supplying of 1,076 mm locomotive wheels according to the AAR standard.
The company said in a press release on Tuesday that SNIM is the only owner of 704 km railway infrastructure in Mauritania and is mainly operates large-scale freight transport.
The railway line connects the city of Zouérat, the center of country’s iron ore industry, with the port of Nouadhibou. The length of a single rolling stock consisting 200 wagons may be up to 2.5 km, so from two to four locomotives are usually used at the head of the railway train.
Director of Interpipe Railway Products Division Oleksndr Garkavij said that locomotive wheel is a technically complex product for North African countries. “Their wear resistance indicators have to be at a high level in sandy deserts. Moreover, Mauritanian trains are one of the longest and heaviest in the world. Our strategy is to continue increasing the share of export deliveries of railway products,” he said.
Interpipe is global producer of steel pipes and railway wheels, based in Ukraine. The company’s products are marketed in more than 80 countries all around the world via the network of sales offices located in key markets of Ukraine, Europe, North America and the Middle East. In 2020, Interpipe supplied 662,000 tonnes of finished goods, including 192,000 tonnes of railway products.
The ultimate owner of Interpipe Limited is Ukrainian businessman Victor Pinchuk and his family members.
Ukraine should regulate its role in the issue of grain policy in global markets, in particular, it concerns phytosanitary issues, new approaches to the use of pesticides and issues of traceability of grain origin, the Ministry of Economy said on Wednesday.
“Usually we adopt EU policy and implement it in Ukraine, including trade issues. But this is not always necessary. We shall develop our own position. In particular, my task, as chairing the International Grains Council, is to attract attention of global markets to the grain policy of Ukraine,” Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka said.
The Ministry of Economy said that on June 8 Kachka met with GAFTA Director General Jaine Chisholm Caunt and members of the organization’s council to discuss possible cooperation between Ukraine and the International Grains Council and GAFTA. The ministry called this meeting especially relevant on the eve of the beginning of Ukraine’s chairmanship in the International Grains Council.
“It is important to deepen the dialog between trade institutions, such as the International Grains Council, GAFTA, WTO, because finding a balance in international trade is directly related to ensuring global food security. We see more and more ties between the business community of Ukraine and international trade institutions and consider the development of this dialogue is key in our trade policy,” Kachka said.
The Ministry of Economy recalled that GAFTA (Grain and Feed Trade Association) is an international trade association headquartered in London, consisting of grain traders, brokers and other specialists in the international grain trade. Founded on November 17, 1871 it has over 1,900 members in 100 countries.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said that integration with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) will open up additional prospects for the development of “green energy” in Ukraine.
“Ukraine seeks to adapt the best policies of the European Union, and for this, over the past one and a half years, the government has been actively introducing and developing the gas and electricity market, and is also actively preparing for integration with ENTSO-E in 2023,” the government’s press service said, citing Shmyhal.
The prime minister said that Ukraine is integrating the System Value approach of the World Economic Forum (WEF) into economic planning, in particular, within the framework of this approach, energy efficiency improvements, modernization of distribution networks and an increase in the share of renewable energy sources will become important factors.
“The System Value approach, developed by the WEF, defines a set of solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of economic and power systems. It allows for a better and more complete assessment of the economic, environmental, social and technological results of implementing solutions in the power sector. This tool will also be used for “green” modernization of the economy,” the head of government said.
Shmyhal said that Ukraine has one of the most energy-intensive economies in Europe, and energy efficiency measures will help decarbonize Ukraine’s economy, increase investment in the technology sector and create new jobs.
According to the head of government, integration with the ENTSO-E, which is scheduled for 2023, will open up broad prospects for the development of renewable energy sources in Ukraine, while increasing the stability of the Ukrainian and European power systems.
The prime minister expressed confidence that in the next report of the WEF Energy Transition Index, Ukraine will rank higher thanks to the active development of smart grids, hydrogen economy and power storage systems.
