Adaptation of the Ukrainian oil extraction industry to the new realities with power deficit and fan power cuts is inevitable, as it is more profitable for enterprises to provide themselves with autonomous power generation than to incur losses due to downtime of expensive equipment, believes Vladimir Bondaruk, oilseeds trader at Prometey Group of Companies.
“Certainly, the industry was affected by Russian rocket attacks and introduced schedules of blackouts: for example, one plant in the Ternopil region reported a 15% decrease in gross processing due to problems with power supply. But one way or another adaptation to the new realities is inevitable, because pure mathematics works here, when the cost of the generator is incomparably less than the losses from plant downtime,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
Bondaruk has specified that many oil extraction plants (OEZ) have already provided themselves with autonomous power generation and due to this are able to work with sufficient load. Indirectly the fact that “Prometheus” competitors continue to actively buy sunflower seeds for processing due to which the prices for it on the domestic market continue to grow testifies to their complete work.
“We have seen a steady increase in raw material prices since the beginning of the season, and even planned/emergency power outages have not prevented this. Thus, there is reason to believe that the margin of processing still allows the farmer to be interested in selling raw materials at an attractive price, even in conditions of partial loss of productivity by the industry enterprises,” said Bondaruk.
The expert also noted that it is advisable to equip oil extraction plants with generators, because they cannot fully operate in conditions of stabilized power outages, but need uninterrupted supply of electricity throughout the working day.
“I am in contact with a large agricultural holding company with three oil refineries, in total processing up to 4 thousand tons of sunflowers per day, which is one of the best indicators in the country. So, they are now fully autonomous and fully loaded, because at the beginning of January they installed generators and actually compensate for the lack of power in the stationary network without loss of productivity. But, for example, a large power plant in the Vinnitsa region operates at best 60% of its prewar capacity because of the lack of power,” the trader said in an interview.
According to Mr. Bondaruk another alternative to purchase of generators is transition of oil extraction plants to the mode of sunflower processing to export conditions and selling abroad which includes cleaning, drying and separation from ragweed whose admixtures in sunflower seeds are not permitted by European norms.
“A big enough MPEZ in Nikolaev region, which can process 500-700 tons of sunflower per day and had significant power outages, rebuilt the capacity to refine the raw material and then export ready for oil extraction sunflower. That is, they realized that they can’t provide an uninterrupted “crash” (processing) and decided to buy sunflower and bring it to export conditions,” the trader said.
At the same time, according to him, “Prometheus” group of companies has not stopped buying raw materials, despite the problems with electricity.
Prometheus Group provides services in the storage, processing and logistics of crops. Before the Russian aggression the holding owned 34 elevators in the Mykolayiv, Kirovograd, Kiev, Khmelnytsky, Zaporizhzhya, Sumy, Odessa, Kherson and Dnepropetrovsk regions.
By the end of 2021, the group planned to receive $ 45 million EBITDA, while in 2020 this figure reached $ 32.6 million and in 2019 – $ 30.5 million.
The founder and owner of Prometheus Group is Rafael Goroyan.
In the next day in Ukraine is expected a slight warming, without significant precipitation, gusty wind in places.
According to the Ukrhydrometeocenter, on Monday night, February 20, in the southern regions and Azov regions, in the daytime in the western regions, and in the evening in Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions rain, sometimes with wet snow, in the rest of the territory without precipitation.
There is icy condition on roads in places on the left bank of the river. The wind is mostly northwesterly, 7-12 m/s, gusts of 15-20 m/s in the western part of the country during the day.
The temperature at night is 0-5°C cold, during the day 1-6°C in Transcarpathian and southern regions at night 0-5°C warm, during the day 7-9°C.
Monday night in Kiev, without significant precipitation. The wind is northwest, 7-12 m/s, gusty. The temperature at night is 0-2° frost, while during the day it is 2-4° warm.
According to the Central Geophysical Observatory. The highest daytime temperature (9.2°) in Kiev on Feb. 20 was in 1925, the lowest night-time temperature (-25.0°) in 1895.
On Tuesday, February 21, it is expected to rain and snow in some places in Ukraine. On the left bank and the Carpathians roads are slightly icy. Wind is mainly northwest, 7-12 m/sec.
The temperature at night on the left bank is 0-5° frost, while the rest of the territory is 0-5° warm, during the day in Ukraine 3-8° warm, in the south and south-west 8-13°, in the south of the Odessa region up to 16°.
In Kiev on Tuesday, it rains in places, with wet snow at night. The wind is northwest, 7-12 m/s. The temperature at night is 1-3° warm, during the day 5-7° warm.
Ukraine belongs to the EU family, European culture and civilization and will definitely be a member of the European Union, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said.
“Ukraine belongs to the EU family and will be a member of the European Union. That’s for sure. After all that has happened, after the bombing and killing by Russia. The way they are coping. Ukraine’s future is in the EU. It will oblige us to change our procedural rules. It will change the size and diversity of Europe. Because if Ukraine becomes a member, many Balkan countries will want to do the same,” he said at the Munich Security Conference Sunday morning.
Borrell added that “the first homework assignment is to change the way we work.” At the same time, he stressed. that even before the war, Ukraine had numerous problems and the EU supported the country by investing in political and economic development.
The high representative of the European Union expressed confidence that Ukraine would cope with all the reforms quickly and the EU should support it. According to Borrell, the European Commission “has never before worked so fast.”
“Ukraine is a member of the EU, of the European family, of culture, of European civilization. It just has to be institutionalized. They have to do their homework, we have to help them. And we will prepare ourselves to take Ukraine to us,” Borrell said.
Fiji authorities have lifted all anti-covids requirements for visitors to the archipelago: it is no longer necessary to provide a certificate of vaccination and buy travel insurance with COVID 19 treatment coverage, FBC News reports.
“According to the country’s Ministry of Health, hospitalizations with COVID 19 are now very low thanks to immunization of the population. 100% of adults in Fiji have received one dose of the vaccine and 95% have received two doses. As in other countries with high vaccination rates, Fiji removes all anticovid restrictions for incoming travelers,” the publication writes.
According to the portal, border authorities will continue to monitor the condition of citizens in order to prevent the reintroduction of the coronavirus.
According to the country’s authorities, the recovery of Fiji’s economy after the pandemic coronavirus continues due to strong growth in tourism. For example, tourist arrivals to the archipelago last year totaled 636,300, a 71.1 percent increase over 2019 figures.
Mining companies in Ukraine in January this year, reduced the export of iron ore raw materials (iron ore) in physical terms by 75.9% compared to the same period last year – up to 927.433 thousand tons.
According to the statistics, released by the State Customs Service (SCS), during this period, foreign currency revenues from exports of iron ore decreased by 67% to $110.857 million.
Exports of iron ore products were mainly to Slovakia (28.65% of supplies in monetary terms), the Czech Republic (28.55%) and Austria (20.06%).
Last month Ukraine imported iron ore products for $1 thousand in the total amount of 2 tons, whereas in January-2021 there were imported also $1 thousand in the amount of 1 thousand tons. Imports in January-2023 were from Italy (100%).
As reported, in 2022, Ukraine reduced exports of iron ore products in physical terms by 45.9% compared to the previous year – up to 23 million 984.623 thousand tons, foreign exchange earnings decreased by 57.8% to $2 billion 912.974 million.
Exports of iron ore products was carried out mainly to Slovakia (19.23% in monetary terms), Czech Republic (17.32%) and Poland (16.49%).
Last year Ukraine imported iron ore to the amount of $65 thousand in total 101 tons, while in 2021 – $184 thousand in the amount of 1.202 tons.
Imports were carried out from Norway (36.92%), the Netherlands (27.69%) and the UK (16.92%).
Bali authorities in Indonesia want to restrict tourists’ access to the sacred Mount Batur due to their inappropriate behavior, which was complained about by religious leaders of the province, the Express newspaper reported.
“People should no longer be free to visit Bali’s sacred mountains, including Mount Batur. Many travelers go up there on motorcycles. I think this is too much,” the newspaper quoted Bali Governor Wayan Koster as saying.
According to him, religious leaders felt that the mountains should remain sacred and focused only on pilgrimage and religious rituals, so they recommend banning access for tourists there.
Balinese Hindus believe that any negative actions by tourists could damage the sacredness of the mountains.
Mount Batur is an active volcano and a popular tourist destination in Bali. It is one of the most sacred mountains on the island and is considered the home of the god Brahma.
It takes about two hours to climb Mount Batur and there are several restaurants and viewing platforms. After indecent visitors to the mountain, locals perform a ritual to cleanse the place of bad spirits every time.
