KYIV. Dec 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Head of Ukrenergo Vsevolod Kovalchuk and European Commission Vice President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic have discussed integration of Ukraine’s power grid with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) in the realistic terms.
The press service of Ukrenergo reported that the sides arranged that consultations with representatives of the European Commission will be held in the near term at the expert level to accelerate the integration.
The meeting was held as part of the tenth SET Plan – Central European Energy Conference held in Bratislava on December 2, which the Ukrenergo’s delegation took part in.
Kovalchuk in his speech at the panel entitled “Market integration III: Regional market-coupling in electricity” told about the state of the Ukrainian power market reform, further possible ways of its integration with markets of the neighbor countries (Moldova, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania) and next steps in Ukrainian power grid’s integration with ENTSO-E.
He said that the integration even with several markets of neighbor countries would help Ukraine to better prepare for the complete integration with ENTSO-E.
“This could be done gradually, step by step, and start now. The will of Ukraine is needed. We have it. The interest of our partners is needed as well… One should not wait for a comprehensive technical and political decision on the full integration – the steps should be made now,” he said.
The press service said that at the panel where heads of Austrian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian and Slovakian systemic operators took part, it was clearly said that Ukrenergo is ready to start consultations with partners to determine top priority steps to integrate the markets and bring cooperation to the strategic level. One of the steps will be the launch of electronic annual/monthly/daily unilateral auctions between Burshtyn Energy Island and ENTSO-E.
Kovalchuk expressed confidence that the Ukrainian power grid could be useful for European consumers.
KYIV. Dec 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Belorusneft specialists have started performing hydraulic fracturing operations under the contract with Ukrgazvydobuvannia, reads a statement on the website of the oil company.
“In accordance with the contracts, the specialists will conduct 50 hydraulic fracturing operations in Poltava region. This is the first large-scale oil service project in Ukraine for the Belarusian oil company,” the report says.
As reported, Ukrgazvydobuvannia plans in 2016-2017 to conduct 100 hydraulic fracturing operations with the help of Belorusneft and Tacrom, which won the tenders, on the Shebelynka and Poltava gas deposits at a depth of 2,800-5,000 meters.
Ukrgazvydobuvannia plans to increase natural gas production from 14.5 billion cubic meters in 2015 and 2016 to 15.2 billion cubic meters in 2017, 16.5 billion cubic meters in 2018, 18.3 billion cubic meters in 2019, and 20.1 billion cubic meters in 2020.
KYIV. Dec 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Public joint-stock company State Food-Grain Corporation of Ukraine can start planting crops to increase its profits.
“Our goal is to earn. We see that the land bank gives us this chance of earning more,” acting Board Chairman Oleksandr Hryhorovych said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.
He said that now only one elevator in the corporation’s ownership has a land bank. This enterprise posts the best results in profits at the corporation.
Now the corporation leases around 6,000 ha of land.
“We have only initiated the idea. We are waiting for feedbacks,” he said.
KYIV. Dec 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Meest-Express Trading House LLC (Lviv) postal and logistics operator plans by 2019 to increase its share in the market of postal and logistics services to 20%, Meest Group President Rostyslav Kysil has said.
“Our goal in the Ukrainian market is to reach 20% by 2019. We do not indulge in illusions, knowing quite well that each company will compete for a market share. However, we have such plans, they are realistic,” he told reporters.
Kysil added to implement this strategy the company has raised a $10 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for six years. The company also intends by the middle of 2018 to consider raising another $10 million from the EBRD.
“Now we’ve got a $10 million loan. However, in talks with the EBRD we meant a loan in the amount of $20 million. Obviously, we have to perform the first stage of our program, which is foreseen by the middle of 2018, and then we will be ready to consider getting the second part of the credit. I think we’ll be interested in this,” he stressed.
KYIV. Dec 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – TM.P. S.P.A. – Termomeccanica Pompe (Italy) has won a tender of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom to supply give pumps for Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant (NPP) for UAH 175 million (VAT included), according to information in the ProZorro e-procurement system.
The expected cost of the equipment in the tender announced in June was UAH 327.275 million (VAT included). Technopolis LLC was permitted to participate in the tender. The company presented a pump producer from China.
Director of the corruption prevention center at Energoatom Oleh Polyschuk said that the tender was delayed by those who wanted to earn on it. Many complaints to Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee and law enforcement agencies were submitted.
Energoatom is the operator of all four Ukrainian-based operating nuclear power plants, which have 15 VVER reactors with an overall generating capacity of 13.835 gigawatts.
KYIV. Dec 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – A delegation of Qatari businessmen will visit Ukraine in the near future, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers has said.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman on December 2 met with advisor of the Emir of Qatar for culture Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and discussed practical measures to deepen cooperation between Ukraine and Qatar in various fields.
“Ukraine expects a delegation of Qatar business representatives to visit the country in the near future. In particular, during their visit the parties will discuss the expansion of opportunities for investment,” the report reads.
The premier noted bilateral trade turnover between Ukraine and Qatar does not match the capabilities of the two countries and there is a significant potential to increase it.
“During the meeting the sides also discussed the exchange of visits by the prime ministers of the two countries aimed at enhancing interaction between Ukraine and Qatar in trade, economic and financial spheres,” the press service of the government said.
