KYIV. Dec 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Banks participating in the state program to partially compensate the cost of credits taken for the modernization of heating and energy efficiency measures in the housing sector of Ukraine will be able to issue UAH 8 billion in such loans in 2016, Head of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine Serhiy Savchuk has said.
“I think that given the pace we are moving with, considering the market potential that exists today, next year we will be able to issue UAH 8 billion in loans for energy efficiency,” he said at a press conference on the results of the government’s work and the prospects of development in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy in Kyiv.
Savchuk also noted that most loans for thermal modernization and housing energy efficiency to the population under the relevant state program since the beginning of 2014 have been issued in Lviv region.
“Lviv region is in the first place because it at once joined our program. Out of more than UAH 1 billion of loans granted throughout the country some UAH 120 million was issued in loans in small Lviv region,” he said.
KYIV. Dec 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – A Vega light rocket with the Ukrainian engine carrying the European Space Agency’s Lisa Pathfinder was successfully placed into orbit LISA Pathfinder satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA).
The press service of the State Space Agency of Ukraine reported that the Vega rocket lifted away from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana (South America) at 06:04 Kyiv time.
“The launch was the sixth under the Vega program and the third in 2015,” the press service said.
Vega rocket was designed by the ESA jointly with the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Vega was designed to carry up to 1,500 kilograms of payloads to a 700-kilometer circular polar orbit or up to 1,200 kilograms of payloads to a 1,200-kilometer heliosynchronous orbit. The cruise engine for the fourth stage of the rocket RD-868P was designed by Pivdenne Design Bureau and it was made by Pivdenmash state enterprise (both based in Dnipropetrovsk). The test launch of the Vega carrier was success in February 2012, and since May 2013 the ESA started commercial exploitation of the new rocket.
The Ukrainian government and the ESA signed an agreement of cooperation in the peaceful development of outer space in 2008. The ESA unites 17 European countries.
LISA Pathfinder satellite is to test technologies required for the launch of the evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) in 2034 that will detect gravitational waves.
KYIV. Dec 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – S-Rostok (Mykolaiv region), a large producer of vegetables in Ukraine, plans in 2016 to build a vegetable storage for 15,000 tonnes in Mykolaiv region.
“We will increase the area under carrots next year from 120 hectares to 330 hectares, build a modern vegetable storage for 15,000 tonnes for the new season,” Commercial Director Oleksandr Marchenko said at the 12th international conference “Vegetables and Fruit of Ukraine 2015. Restart.”
According to him, S-Rostok will build the vegetable storage facility for own funds.
The gross harvest of carrots and onions in 2016 is expected to reach 8,000-10,000 tonnes, of which about 10% will be exported to the EU. A contract with Spanish importers for vegetables supplies has been signed.
The company also plans in 2016 to obtain a Global GAP certificate to work with European customers.
S-Rostok was established in 2007. It grows onions, carrots, beets, celery, owns storage facilities with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes, of which 2,000 tonnes with a controlled atmosphere and 22,000 tonnes with freon cooling.
KYIV. Dec 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Khlibni Investytsii holding LLC, Ukraine’s large bread producer, has invested around EUR 2 million in modernization of its bakeries since September 2015, the holding said on its website.
The holding said that double liability company Ivano-Frankivsk bread baking complex started realizing a project on the new long loaf line worth EUR 1 million and it is planned to launch it in March 2016.
A modernized doughnut line was launched at the complex in November 2015. Its capacity is up to 80 tonnes a month. The products are made under the Tsar Khlib brand.
Public joint-stock company Chernivtsi bread baking complex took energy saving measures. A new boiler, waste heat exchangers and cook tops were installed. The measures allowed saving up to 30% of energy. The value of energy saving measures was EUR 500,000.
Public joint-stock company Teremno (Lutsk) is realizing the truck fleet upgrade program: five new trucks to transport bread were bought. It is planned to buy five more trucks. Investment totals EUR 300,000.
Berdychiv Bakery LLC expanded its retail chain: eight new bread kiosks were opened from September to December 2015.
The bakery also invested EUR 200,000 in confectionary production. The truck fleet of the company is being expanded.
Pershy Stolychny Bakery LLC installed equipment and launched the croissant line, the fleet was increased by 10 trucks and 10 new bread kiosks were opened.
KHARKIV. Dec 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Malyshev Plant (Kharkiv) is ready to ship a new batch of Ukrainian Oplot tanks to Thailand in December 2015 if the Defense Ministry of Ukraine agrees the shipment, Chief Engineer Oleksandr Sheiko has said.
“The delivery guideline is December, if the Defense Ministry agrees it,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Sheiko did not specify the number of tanks that could be shipped. He said that if the ministry approves the shipment, the implementation of the Thai contract could be finished in 2016.
The Oplot tank has been developed by the Kharkiv-based Morozov Design and Engineering Bureau. The first two Oplot tanks entered service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in May 2009. An over $200 million contract for the delivery of 49 Oplot tanks to Thailand was signed in 2011. The Malyshev company started implementing the contract in April 2012. Investment in the tanks’ serial production amounts to $30 million, according to the company management.
Experts estimate the Oplot tank has an 80% processing complexity coefficient, one of the world’s highest among new combat vehicles. The tank has advanced systems of protecting communication and control gear, including an active system for countering smart weapons, as well as night vision instruments and a remote- controlled machine-gun.
KYIV. Dec 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Around 20 investors have shown their interest in the possible purchase of Odesa Port-Side Plant at the privatization tender, including four U.S. companies, Norway’s Yara and some European companies, Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) Ihor Bilous said on Channel 5 TV late on Wednesday.
He said that companies from developing countries, in particular, Turkey, Morocco, Indonesia, China and Arab countries are also among potential buyers.
Traders and financial investors form a separate group.
He said that the plant is finishing designing the management presentation and it is almost ready to the visits of the potential buyers.
Bilous said that the largest risk for the tender scheduled for spring 2016 is the political risk, as the sale of Odesa Port-Side Plant was twice stopped manually.
A delay with the adoption of amendments to laws on privatization by the parliament that revokes the obligatory sale of 5% of shares on stock exchanges is among other risks. However, the preliminary compromise on the issue has been reached in the parliament.
Bilous also remained about litigation with Nortima affiliated with businessman Ihor Kolomoisky. Nortima won a tender to sell Odesa Port-Side Plant in 2009, although the tender results were overturned. He said that the next hearing is scheduled for December 9, and until now the State Property Fund won the dispute in all courts.
He said that the slammed tolling scheme will not be used at the plant.
“Only open purchases of gas at the lowest price will be used,” he said.
The plant’s supervisory board will approved a special procedure for buying gas and selling finished products.
