Business news from Ukraine

YUZHNY SEAPORT RAISES CARGO HANDLING BY 19%

Yuzhny seaport (Odesa region), the largest seaport of Ukraine in terms of transshipment, increased cargo transshipment by 18.7% in January-March 2019 compared to January-March 2018, to 11.6 million tonnes.
According to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, during this period the port increased the handling of exported cargo by 39.8%, to 8.973 million tonnes, decreased the handling of imported cargo by 31.98%, to 1.203 million tonnes, transit cargo handling fell by 10.22%, to 1.422 million tonnes, and the port increased handling of coastal freight 2.86-fold, to 31,930 tonnes.
According to the types of cargo, the port in January-March 2019 increased the transshipment of liquid cargo by 9.13%, to 1.077 million tonnes, increased the transshipment of dry bulk cargo by 19.45%, to 9.207 million tonnes, and increased the transshipment of packaged goods by 22.16%, to 1.315 million tonnes.
Container handling amounted to 52,000 TEU (a more than threefold increase).
Yuzhny port was founded in 1978. It is located on the Adzhalyk firth and is the deepest harbor in Ukraine. The length of its berths is around 2.6 kilometers.

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ODESA SEAPORT SEES 5% RISE IN FREIGHT HANDLING IN Q1 2019

Odesa seaport in January-March 2019 transshipped 6.22 million tonnes of freight, which is 5.05% more than a year ago.
According to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, during this period the port increased the handling of exported cargo by 11.33%, to 4.831 million tonnes, decreased the handling of imported cargo by 14.4%, to 1.038 million tonnes, transit cargo handling fell by 3.95%, to 344,360 tonnes, and the port increased handling of coastal freight by 37.84%, to 6,570 tonnes.
According to the types of cargo, the port in January-March 2019 decreased the transshipment of liquid cargo by 13.31%, to 390,750 tonnes, increased the transshipment of dry bulk cargo by 9.49%, to 2.68 million tonnes, and increased the transshipment of packaged goods by 4.19%, to 3.149 million tonnes.
Container handling amounted to 140,650 TEU (a fall of 4.1% year-over-year).
Odesa port is located on an area of 109.5 hectares.
The port accepts vessels with lengths of up to 270 meters and maximum draughts of 13 meters. The total length of the port’s berths exceeds 8 kilometers.

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LAUDA AIRLINE START FLYING FROM KYIV TO STUTTGART

Lauda airline, a subsidiary of the Irish low-cost air carrier Ryanair, from November 6, 2019 will start operating direct flights from Kyiv to Stuttgart (Germany), according to the Ryanair’s ticket booking system. Flights will be operated four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Ticket prices start from EUR19.95 one way.
Now Lauda flies from Kyiv to Vienna.
As reported, in January Ryanair concentrated 100% of the Austrian airline Laudamotion, later renamed Lauda.
In August 2018, Ryanair announced the completion of the acquisition of a 75% stake in Laudamotion, earlier, in spring, having bought a 24.9% stake in the airline.

UKRENERGO AND SLOVAKIA TO UPDATE CONTRACT ON OPERATION OF POWER LINE

National energy company Ukrenergo and the electricity transmission system operator SEPS (Slovakia) will sign a new agreement of cooperation and joint operation of the 400 kV overhead power line Mukachevo-Velke Kapusany, connecting the Burshtyn thermal power plant island and the Slovakian power grid, by the end of 2019, the press service of Ukrenergo has reported.
The need to update the agreement, which sets out the rules and requirements regarding the operation of the line, the order of interaction between operators during joint operation of the interstate section is due to changes in the rules and requirements of ENTSO-E (the European Network of System Operators of Electricity System).
The new document will be developed on the basis of the principles that most of the European operators of the electricity transmission system apply, the company said.
As reported, in October 2018, the Ukrainian and Slovakian operators agreed on building a new power line as an optimal solution for boosting power transmission between Ukraine and Slovakia. According to the agreements, a new 400 kV overhead line will be built, which will connect the existing 400 kV substations Mukachevo and Velke Kapusany in the single-circuit version with the possibility of further upgrading it to double-circuit in case of an increase in the volume of interstate flows. Considering the condition of the existing 400 kV overhead line Mukachevo-Velke Kapusany, which has been operating since 1963, its modernization was recognized as inexpedient. The line will work until the launch of the new line.
This project is a candidate for projects of mutual interest (PMI).

BASHTANKA CHEESE FACTORY HALVES NET PROFIT IN 2018

Bashtanka Cheese Factory (Mykolaiv region), one of the largest cheese making enterprises in Ukraine, in 2018 saw a net profit of UAH 24.06 million, which is 1.9 times less than a year earlier. According to a company report in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, its net income last year increased by 20.9%, to UAH 1.024 million.
The gross profit of Bashtanka Cheese Factory over the year rose by 10.6%, to UAH 182.67 million, operating profit fell by 13.9%, to UAH 63.8 million.
In 2018, the company sold products for UAH 1.02 billion, in particular hard cheese for UAH 417.48 million, in natural terms some 4,140 tonnes. Of the total volume of products sold, exports accounted for 4%.
Bashtanka Cheese Factory is part of Milk Alliance, established in June 2006 as a holding company with a charter capital of UAH 23.5 million and a balance 99.9% consisting of long-term financial investments.

MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR LIFECELL INCREASES NET LOSS BY 50%, TO UAH 267 MLN

The mobile communications operator lifecell in January-March 2019 increased net loss by 49.94%, to UAH 267.2 million compared with UAH 178.2 million in January-March 2018, according to the financial statement of the parent company, Turkcell (Turkey) posted on its official website. According to the report, the operator’s revenue in the first quarter increased 17.2%, to UAH 1.42 billion, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) – 61.5%, to UAH 815.5 million. At the same time, EBITDA margin increased 15.8 percentage points, to 57.6%.
Revenue of lifecell (Ukraine) grew by 17.2% year on year in 2019 in local currency, mainly thanks to increased revenues from mobile data transfer with an increase in 4.5G users and data users, the Turkcell said in the report.
The active subscriber base of lifecell for the first three months of 2019 decreased 10.4% compared with the first quarter of 2018 and amounted to 6.9 million users. At the same time, the average revenue per user (ARPU) of the active subscriber base increased 29.8%, to UAH 66.7.
Capital investments of the operator for the specified period amounted to UAH 357.8 million, which is 86.2% less than in the same period of 2018.
According to the report, the number of 4.5G users in the first quarter of 2019 was 36% of the total number of users of mobile data, and the penetration rate of smartphones by the end of March reached 77% (70% as of the end of the first quarter of 2018).
The lifecell operator is the third largest operator of mobile communications in Ukraine.