Ukrainian enterprises in 2020 increased the consumption of rolled metal by 4.4% compared to the previous year, to 4.904 million tonnes.
According to a press release from the Ukrmetalurgprom association, in 2020, some 1.228 million tonnes, or 25.4% of the domestic market for the consumption of rolled metal were imported.
“For the period January-December 2020, the capacity of the domestic market amounted to 4.904 million tonnes of rolled metal, of which 1.228 million tonnes, or 25.4%, accounted for imports. For the same period of 2019, the capacity of the domestic market was 4.697 million tonnes, of which 1.419 million tonnes, or 30.2%, were imported. Thus, for the 12 months of 2020, there is an increase in the capacity of the domestic market of rolled metal by 4.4% compared to January-December 2019, with a simultaneous a decrease in the import share by 5.2%,” the press release said.
In addition, it is reported that the import structure of 2020 is characterized by the domination of flat-rolled products over long products (55.84% and 42.93%, respectively), which is almost equal to the import structure in 2019 (some 55.21% and 41.87%, respectively).
According to Ukrmetalurgprom, in 2020, Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises produced 18.43 million tonnes of rolled metal (101.2% compared to 2019), of which, according to ETR-Spectr LLC, about 14.75 million tonnes or 80% were exported. In 2019, the export share was 82% (some 14.94 million tonnes with a total production of 18.21 million tonnes of rolled metal).
The share of semi-finished products in export deliveries in 2020 accounted for 50.77%, which is slightly higher than in 2019 (some 47.18%). Share of flat-rolled products in export deliveries in 2020 is almost equal to the indicator of 2019 (some 32.51% and 32.80% respectively). The share of long products in export deliveries last year is noticeably lower to the 2019 indicator (16.71% in 2020 versus 20.02% in 2019).
According to ETR-Spectr LLC, the main export markets for Ukrainian metal products in 2020 were the European Union (28.5%), other European countries (14.5%) and Asian countries (14.2%).
Among metallurgical importers in 2020 the first place is occupied by the CIS countries (38.5%), the second is the EU-28 (24.5%), and the third is Asian countries (20.5%).
Mobile network operator Kyivstar has expanded its 4G network coverage in Volyn and Zhytomyr regions and connected 402 more settlements to new mobile technologies.
The press service of the company said on Thursday that in particular, in Zhytomyr region, high-speed mobile Internet appeared in the settlements of Andriyivka, Bilkivtsi, Zamyslovychi, Kalynivka, Korostyshiv, Lebedivka, Nemyrivka and in Volyn region in the settlements of Borokhiv, Volodymyr-Volynsky, Horodysche, Domanove, Liubeshiv, and Ruzhyn.
The operator said that in order to improve coverage, LTE900 technology was activated at 98 base stations.
According to the data provided, a total of 14,000 base stations of the operator support 4G communication, which makes it possible to access new mobile technologies for 87% of the population of Ukraine.
At the same time, the operator said that in 2021 it intends to continue developing the network to increase the population’s access to 4G up to 90%.
Ratio of fertility and mortality by region as of Jan-Oct, 2020.
SSC of Ukraine
The volume of investments in household solar power plants reached EUR 600 million from 2015 by the end of 2020, the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving has reported.
“As of the end of 2020, there are more than 29,900 families in Ukraine who have installed solar panels. Their total capacity reaches 780 MW,” the agency said on Facebook.
According to the report, the top three in terms of the number of household solar plants are Dnipropetrovsk (4,184), Ternopil (2,512) and Kyiv (2,350) regions.
The agency also indicated that from 2018 to 2020 inclusive, the number of households with solar plants increased fourfold – from 7,450 to 29,900.
Taking into account the agency’s data for the first three quarters of 2020, in its last quarter, the capacity of solar plants increased by 68 MW, and investments by EUR 40 million. The number of households that connected home solar generation facilities rose by almost 1,500.
An international research group consisting of 19 scientists from Germany, the U.K., Italy, the United States and Ukraine has published the results of a study of the effectiveness of the drug Amizon (active compound enisamium iodide) in the treatment of COVID-19 disease. The trials were carried out in-vitro (in laboratory). Its results are published on the Medrxiv website, which belongs to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (the United States) and it is the world’s main resource providing open access to the results of research on COVID-19.
In their article, scientists from Institute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University described for the first time the antiviral effect of Amizon against SARS-CoV-2. The co-authors of the article, scientists from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, have revealed the mechanism of action of the drug, which consists in inhibiting the viral RNA polymerase, under the influence of which the virus multiplies.
The results of the study made it possible to start the third stage of clinical trials of the drug in Ukraine. In May 2020, a multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of Amizon Max was launched. In the course of the study, the use of Amizon was combined with basic treatment of patients with moderate severity of COVID-19 infection.
The trials were carried out in parallel in several clinics in different cities of Ukraine. Specialists from Germany were involved in the study.
Intermediate results of the third stage of clinical trials of Amizon demonstrated its effectiveness in patients requiring non-invasive oxygen support (without the use of a ventilator). In particular, at this stage of the study, Amizon showed itself as a drug that accelerates the onset of a significant improvement in the condition of patients on average up to three days.
At the same time, to confirm or refute the positive trend, an additional recruitment of patients is currently being carried out to continue clinical trials. Final results are expected at the end of February.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in 2020 reduced investments in Ukraine to EUR 812 million in 34 projects compared to 2019, when the Bank invested 51 projects for EUR 1.1 billion.
“In terms of annual investment, Ukraine ranked third among the Bank’s countries of operation after Turkey and Egypt,” the EBRD said in a press release.
According to it, new investments included support for projects to improve corporate governance (as a pilot transformation program for Ukravtodor), as well as a project for transforming Ukrposhta, improving transport infrastructure in Ukrainian cities, introducing energy efficient technologies in heavy industry, etc.
