Metinvest, an international vertically integrated group of mining and metals companies, signed a memorandum of cooperation with K1-MET, a leading Austrian research center in metallurgy, to implement joint projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the steel industry in line with the European Green Deal.
As part of its long-term vision to develop emissions-free steelmaking, Metinvest plans to increase the sustainability of its production facilities and is interested in gaining experience of leading technologies aimed at reducing environmental footprint. Meanwhile, К1-МЕТ has profound experience and expertise regarding the implementation of research and development projects focusing on energy efficiency, the circular economy, carbon capture, storage and usage, climate-neutral metal production and other related areas in collaboration with leading industrial players, research organizations and institutes.
Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest, pointed to the group’s awareness of the urgent need to reduce the negative impact of metallurgical production on the environment.
“Metinvest is constantly looking at various technological solutions to reduce its emissions today and in the future. The partnership with K1-MET represents an important part of a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing the steel industry in the long run, and we will continue to actively explore this and other areas,” he said.
In turn, Thomas Buergler, CEO of K1-MET, said that the decision of the 2015 climate conference in Paris to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100 compared with the pre-industrial period, and the EU Green Deal 2019, which aims to make Europe a carbon-neutral continent in 2050, highlight great challenges for resource-intensive industry.
“The focus of the research and development programme at the K1-MET metallurgical competence centre is aligned with the climate targets, sustainable development goals and needs of our industrial partners,” the General Director said.
The projects combine carbon-neutral technologies, the circular economy and digitalization for sustainable steelmaking. Strategic research will also be increasingly considered to gain a deeper understanding of process flows. At K1-MET, the interaction of industrial and scientific partners helps to ensure that results from applied research can be transferred to industrial applications. The partnership with Metinvest based on the memorandum signed sets the course for this.
K1-MET (Austria) is one of the leading and internationally renowned metallurgical competence centres for ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy. It cooperates with established national and international partners from the sector to cover issues such as energy efficiency, the circular economy and carbon-neutral metal production. K1-MET and its partners are working on process solutions to advance the transformation of the European metallurgical industry.
AUSTRIAN RESEARCH CENTER, CARBON FOOTPRINT, COOPERATION, METINVEST
NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED IN UKRAINE AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES, FEB 20 – MAY 21
According to the results of June 2021, Sikorsky Kyiv International Airport served 117,545 passengers, which is over 2 times less than in the pre-crisis June 2019 (some 248,500 passengers).
At the same time, the infographics on the airport’s website indicate that in June this year, the largest passenger traffic was recorded since March 2020, when 78,900 passengers were served (in June 2020, Kyiv airport began operating international passenger flights only on June 17 due to quarantine restrictions).
In just six months of 2021, the airport served 337,340 passengers, which is almost 4 times less than in the same period in 2019 (some 1.332 million): international routes – 320,600 passengers, and domestic – 16,700 passengers.
KSG Agro in 2020 cut its net profit by 68.8% compared to 2019, to $1.27 million, while increasing EBITDA by 2.9 times, to $6.02 million.
According to the audited report of the holding, published on Friday evening on the website of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, its revenue over the past year decreased 11%, to $21.34 million.
At the end of 2020, KSG Agro increased its gross profit 2.4 times, to $6.25 million, and operating profit 10.5 times, to $4.35 million.
The company said that the crop yield in 2020 increased by 5.2% compared to 2019 – up to 40,000 tonnes, while the wheat crop increased by a quarter, to 17,900 tonnes, rapeseed – 2.4 times, to 2,730 tonnes, sunflower harvest decreased by 9.7% – to 11,700 tonnes.
“The total area of agricultural land used by the group as at 31 December 2020 is 21,000 hectares, of which 10,000 hectares are currently under winter crops and are expected to yield a total of 23,60 tonnes of wheat, barley and rapeseed at harvest. The group manages to maintain crop farming revenue at comparable levels to pig breeding, but because crops are exposed to weather conditions, revenues from pig breeding are still considered by management to be more reliable and remain the key strategic focus,” KSG Agro said in the report.
According to the agricultural holding, its revenue from the livestock segment in 2020 decreased by 8% compared to 2019 reaching $10.3 million, while the food processing segment brought the company 22% less, and amounted to $8.4 million. The total marketable pig number of the company as of December 31, 2020 increased by 7.8% compared to December 31, 2019, to 41,416 heads.
“Current year harvest was comparable to the previous year, so the relative decrease in sales is mostly attributable to the general slowing down in business when the first coronavirus prevention measures were introduced, and people were beginning to adapt to the new reality. After that, demand for crops and pork, as well as other goods used to manufacture food products, returned to the previous levels,” the company said in the report.
According to the company, there had been no significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the group’s profitability position so far. The pandemic is not expected to have an immediate material impact on business operations.
DYNAMICS OF CHANGES IN POPULATION OF UKRAINE FROM 1991-2021
Member of parliament of III-VIII convocations Kostiantyn Zhevaho was not put on the international wanted list, the press service of the ex-MP said on Thursday evening, July 15.
“The legal office of Kostiantyn Zhevaho knows that the Ukrainian bureau of Interpol filed a request to put him on international wanted list. This was a continuation of the illegal criminal prosecution against the entrepreneur. According to the press service and lawyers of Mr. Zhevaho, today there is no official confirmation of this statement from Interpol,” the office said in a statement forwarded to Interfax-Ukraine.
Interpol is currently considering Zhevaho’s case, but the final decision has not yet been made on it.
“The request of the Ukrainian Bureau of Interpol was sent to the central office of the organization back in October last year. The duration of its consideration indicates that the arguments presented in the document are not convincing and require careful study,” the press service of the ex-MP said.
The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) said on July 15 that Interpol declared Zhevaho as the one put on the international wanted list.
“On September 27, 2019, the former MP was notified of suspicion. He, as the former owner of Finance and Credit Bank, organized the embezzlement of $113 million of this financial institution,” the press service of the SBI said.
INTERNATIONAL WANTED LIST, KOSTIANTYN ZHEVAHO, WANTED LIST, ZHEVAHO
