KYIV. Feb 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine’s largest agricultural holding Ukrlandfarming is in talks with investors to start the construction of a grain terminal in Yuzhny port (Odesa region) in 2017.
“Our top priority in 2016 is Yuzhny port. We are now in talks with investors, and next year we will begin construction,” deputy director general of the holding Ihor Petrashko said in an interview with Latifundist.com.
According to him, the company has built seven elevator and feed complexes, their overall storage capacity is estimated at 2.5 million tonnes. Ukrlandfarming planned to invest in rolling stock, rent grain wagons for 20 years, build an oil extraction plant, developed a project for lysine production. Currently terrestrial infrastructure projects are suspended.
“I can only say that we have a constructive dialogue with Odesa regional administration [with respect to the terminal]. All should be interested in this. These are 5,000 additional jobs, competition in the port, an increase of transshipment. Those who build only theoretically are trying to block this process in every possible way. When they see how we got ahead in the search of an investor, they started using PR attacks,” Petrashko said.
KYIV. Feb 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Cabinet of Ministers has agreed a draft agreement between Ukraine and Australia on cooperation in the field of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
The corresponding decision is fixed in government order No. 50-r of January 27.
“Authorize Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Volodymyr Demchyshyn to sign the said agreement,” reads the document.
As reported, with reference to Volodymyr Demchyshyn, Ukraine is negotiating on the purchase of uranium concentrate in Australia and Kazakhstan.
KYIV. Feb 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Saltivsky Bakery LLC (Kharkiv region), part of Lauffer Group, in 2015 produced 43,000 tonnes of bakery products, which coincides with the figures of 2014.
According to a press release, Lauffer Group’s capital investment in baking enterprises of Kharkiv region last year amounted to more than UAH 4 million. Re-equipment of production was carried out in two directions: introduction of energy saving technologies, improvement of product quality.
The group plans in 2016 to invest around UAH 10 million in Kharkiv bakeries.
“In 2015 we managed to maintain production volumes and the market share. Today we produce about 40% of bread in Kharkiv,” the press service said citing the head of the bakery business at Lauffer Group in Kharkiv, Bohdan Aleksandrov.
Lauffer is one of the largest Ukrainian business groups in the sector of processing agricultural products and food production, which has been operating in Ukraine for 14 years. It includes about 100 enterprises specializing in production of flour, bakery goods, fat, canned food and so on.
KYIV. Feb 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The largest recipients of VAT refunds in January 2016 became Poltava Mining and Processing Plant (PGOK) with UAH 720.8 million (in December 2015 some UAH 177.4 million was reimbursed), ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih with UAH 511.5 million (UAH 1.027 billion), Cargill exporter of sunflower oil with UAH 335.2 million (UAH 141.3 million) and Kernel-Trade with UAH 332 million (UAH 335 million), the State Treasury Service has said.
According to its data, the top ten recipients of VAT refunds in January also included Mariupol Illich steel mill with UAH 318.5 million (UAH 286 million), Azovstal with UAH 254.8 million (UAH 305.4 million), Zaporizhstal with UAH 237.6 million (UAH 1.018 billion), Myronivsky plant for manufacturing feed and cereals with UAH 200 million (UAH 201.7 million), Rise seed producer with UAH 181.7 million (UAH 83.2 million), and Motor Sich manufacturer of aircraft engines with UAH 174.7 million (UAH 10,000).
In general, the amount of VAT refunds in January 2016 decreased to UAH 7.887 billion compared to December 2015, when the figure amounted to UAH 9.49 billion.
KYIV. Feb 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) and the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) provide a financing package of EUR 27.5 million to Lviv city to implement a project on the upgrade of wastewater treatment in the city, the EBRD said in a press release on Friday.
“The new project would enable municipal enterprise Lvivvodokanal to rehabilitate and upgrade the wastewater treatment infrastructure, install a biogas production capacity in the city,” the bank said.
The project is supported by an EBRD loan of up to EUR 15 million, a EUR 5 million loan from NEFCO and an investment grant of up to EUR 7.5 million from E5P.
“The proceeds will be used to significantly improve the efficiency and environmental performance of Lvivvodokanal, the major municipal utility which operates a 1,000-kilometer network of water supply systems and water treatment facilities and provides services to 760,000 residential and industrial users,” the EBRD said.
The investment programme will enable Lvivvodokanal to install a wastewater biogas combined heat and power plant (CHP), which will be able to generate up to 39,400 MWh of electricity annually thus allowing the company to achieve significant energy savings and will also lead to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to approximately 128,600 tonnes of CO2.
“Other environmental benefits for the city and the region will be achieved through the installation of grit chambers and a chemical precipitation plant, which are expected to improve overall wastewater treatment in Lviv and reduce the pollution discharged to the Poltva River,” the bank said.
Technical assistance, necessary to accomplish the feasibility study and the environmental due diligence, was provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
As reported, referring to the EBRD, on December 16, 2015 the board of directors decided to provide a loan of EUR 15 million to Lvivvodokanal to realize this project. It was planned to sign the agreement in January 2016.
The total cost of the project is estimated at EUR31.5 million. Lvivvodokanal will finance up to EUR 4 million.
The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. As of July 1, 2015, the bank had a total cumulative commitment of EUR 11 billion in 345 projects in the country.
KHARKIV. Feb 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Public joint-stock company Turboatom (Kharkiv) and China Dongfang Electric Machinery have signed a memorandum of cooperation.
The press service of Turboatom reported on Thursday that the document envisages joint marketing operations on supply of Turboatom’s urbones for nuclear power plants (NPPs), thermal power plants (TPPs) and hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) to China and third countries.
“The possibility of supply generators of 1,000 MW and more made by Dongfang Electric Machinery and other equipment for turbine islands that is not made in Ukraine to new reactors three and four of Khmelnytsky NPP,” the press service said.
Turboatom Director General Viktor Subotin said that under a protocol signed in September 2015 by National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom and Turboatom, the latter was selected as the general supplier of equipment for turbine islands of reactors three and four of Khmelnytsky NPP. The key possible supplier of generators that earlier were produced for the NPP by Russia’s Power Machines, is Electrotyazhmash Plant (Kharkiv). Energoatom and Turboatom are mulling alternative suppliers.
“One of the alternatives is the Chinese company which would be able to fulfill the order in the shortest terms if it is required,” the press service said.
Subotin said that the possibility of co-financing the project on construction of reactors by China, at least, in the volumes of equipment that China would ship.
