National Energy Company Ukrenergo has launched second 750/330 kV 999 MVA autotransformer at the Kyivska 750 kV substation, the press service of the enterprise has reported.
The press service said that the new AT-1 has the SERGI modern monitoring and fire protection system. The monitoring system allows remotely monitoring the main modes of operation of the AT-1, generates warning and alarm signals regarding the limiting modes of its operation, allows tracking the technical condition of the autotransformer and, if necessary, taking measures in a timely manner.
The project to install the second autotransformer at the Kyivska substation was implemented by Ukrenergo together with the Croatian company Dalekovod at the expense of loan funds from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
According to Deputy Director for Operational Management, Chief Dispatcher of Ukrenergo Vitaliy Zaichenko, the establishment of the second autotransformer reduced the load on the existing 750/330 kV autotransformers in Kyiv region, which, in turn, increases the reliability of power supply to Kyiv region and city.
“After the completion of the construction of diversions of the Chornobyl NPP-Kyivska and Pivnichna-Kyivska 330 kV transmission lines, which will connect the Kyivska 750 kV substation to the 330 kV networks of the Kyiv energy complex, this substation will provide 1 GW of additional power to the Rivne and Khmelnytsky NPPs. This will reduce the dependence of consumer power on the generation of Kyiv’s combined heat and power plant five (CHPP) and CHPP six, which burn gas. It will increase the reliability of energy supply and give a new impetus to the industrial and economic development of Kyiv region,” he said.
Ukrenergo operates trunk and interstate transmission lines, as well as centralized dispatching of the country’s integrated power grids. Ukrenergo is a state-owned enterprise under Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry, but it will be transformed into a private joint-stock company soon.
The supervisory board of PrJSC Kyiv Motorcycle Plant (Kyiv) of businessman Vasyl Khmelnytsky has agreed on signing a surety agreement for Alfa-Bank’s (Ukraine) opening a credit line for Unit Holdings LLC (Kyiv) to finance the construction of UNIT.City. According to a report in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, the decision to consent to the transaction was made during an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting on November 30, 2018.
In particular, the matter concerns the intention of Unit Holdings LLC to raise a five-year non-renewable credit line in the amount of $8 million with an interest rate not exceeding 12% per annum from Alfa-Bank. The guarantor in the transaction will be PrJSC Kyiv Motorcycle Plant.
The press service of UDP company told Interfax-Ukraine the money raised will be used to complete the reconstruction of two new campuses of the first stage of UNIT.City.
As reported, Kyiv City Council at the end of September 2018 decided to lease two land plots with a total area of 22.2 hectares at 8 Simyi Khokhlovykh Street to Unit Zhytloinvest and Unit Holdings for the construction of a housing and office complex.
According to UNIT.City’s website, as of November 2018 two business campuses and the co-working space Chasopys.UNIT with 85 resident companies were operating in the innovation park.
It is planned in 2019 to expand the park with three more business campuses, increasing the number of tenants to 150 companies. It is planned that by 2025 the total area of UNIT.City will be 500,000 square meters.
Earlier it was reported, with reference to UDP CEO Vitaliy Melnyk, that UDP and KAN Development are engaged in the joint development of the construction of a six-storey business center in the territory of UNIT.City. Its total area will be about 13,000 square meters.
UNIT.City Innovation Park was officially opened in April 2017 in the territory of the former Kyiv Motorcycle Plant. The co-working space Chasopys-UNIT, the IT school UNIT Factory, three laboratories, a business campus, a foundation and five accelerators are located in its territory.
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has passed an amendment to the Tax Code, according to which the excise duty on fruit and berry wines is reduced to UAH 0.01 per liter, Head of the Ukrsadvynprom association Volodymyr Pechko has said. “The Verkhovna Rada reduced the excise duty on fruit and berry wines and equated it to the excise duty on grape wines. Previously, it was equated with liquor and vodka products. This industry was dilapidated when there was ‘draconian’ legislation. And now the conditions are optimal to resume production of fruit and berry wines,” he told Interfax-Ukraine. According to a comparative table, the tax rate on non-sparkling wines with 1.2-15% ABV will be UAH 0.01 per liter.
According to the head of Ukrsadvynprom, the parliament also agreed on changes, according to which, new producers of wine products will be considered the fourth group of taxpayers using the simplified taxation system.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers has increased government support for hop growing, laying of young gardens, vineyards and berries, from UAH 300 million in 2018 to UAH 400 million in 2019.
According to Pechko, this increase in state support is advisable, since in 2018 the industry will use all the allocated funds. “At the summer meeting the budget allocation committee of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food allocated compensation only for planting material, and at a meeting in autumn refrigerators, shock freezing and sorting lines (except seedlings) will also be reimbursed for. Virtually all funds for gardening will be used,” he explained.
At the same time, the head of Ukrsadvynprom noted that to develop the industry, it is necessary to spend more funds on product processing. “We need to finance not only planting, but also processing, sorting and storing fruits and berries. In particular, funds should be allocated for processing – refrigerators, blast chilling chambers for berries, processing into new products – apple chips, dried goods, grape and fruit wine,” Pechko said.
He added that an increase in processing volumes in future will help fruit and berry producers in the years with large harvests. “This year the price of products of further processing – raspberries, currants, apples – has fallen. Purchase prices for apples, for example, at the plants were UAH 0.52/kg, raspberries some UAH 10-12/kg. This is a very low price, considering harvesting costs. The reduction in excise tax on fruit and berry wine will enable enterprises to process their products themselves,” the expert said.
As reported, the Verkhovna Rada redirected UAH 1 billion from the programs of state support for the agro-industrial complex to the Regional Development Fund. The total amount of state support for agriculture will be about UAH 6 billion. According to information on the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, as of November 16 some 35.8% of state support for the agro-industrial complex had been used. Out of UAH 300 million provided for hop growing and gardening, some UAH 101 million has been used.