A memorandum of understanding between the Ukrainian and Bulgarian energy ministries on cooperation in the energy sector was signed in the presence of Zelensky and Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolo Denkov during an official visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Bulgaria.
According to the press service of the Ukrainian head of state, the document was signed by Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko and Bulgarian Energy Minister Rumen Radev.
“The memorandum is aimed at creating framework conditions for deepening cooperation in the energy sector of Ukraine and Bulgaria based on the principle of mutual benefit and taking into account common interests and goals of both countries,” the statement said.
Ukraine and Bulgaria undertook to provide affordable energy, as well as to support industrial and regional development, security and prosperity of their peoples, expand cooperation and a shared commitment to protect the environment and mitigate climate change and reduce carbon emissions.
It was noted that taking into account Ukraine’s status as a candidate for EU membership and Bulgaria’s obligations as a EU member state, the sides agreed to intensify further mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, green energy, hydrogen, as well as energy storage systems and smart grids.
Sharing knowledge and experience to protect energy infrastructure from physical, electromagnetic, and cyber threats is a priority in the cooperation.
As reported, Bulgarian parliamentarians by a majority vote delegated the country’s Energy Minister to negotiate with his Ukrainian counterpart on the possibility of selling equipment intended for Belene NPP to Kiev, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported Thursday.
The decision was supported by 135 deputies, while 57 opposed.
Earlier, BNR reported that Ukraine had expressed interest in purchasing the reactors intended for Belene NPP.
Bulgaria abandoned the project in 2012.
Ukrainian mukomols and cereals producers began to master and gain a foothold in new markets and increase export volumes, in 2023 they can supply 150 thousand tons of flour to foreign markets, said the chairman of the association “Ukrpischeprom”, director of the union “Mukomols of Ukraine” Rodion Rybchinsky.
“In calendar year 2021 we exported 102 thousand tons of flour, in 2022 the active export began in September and reached 80 thousand tons. In the five months of this year, we have already exported 74,000 tons. With such dynamics, we see the possibility of exporting 150 thousand tons of flour by the end of the year,” he said during a discussion on the prospects of exports during the war, held by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.
According to his information, the war has made significant changes in the export of flour and cereals and bran. Previously these products were exported by sea from the main shipment bases in Kherson, Nikolaev, and Odessa. Traditional importers of Ukrainian flour and cereals were UAE, Palestine, Somalia, Israel, and bran – Turkey, where 95% of them were sent by sea.
The war has made significant adjustments to the geography of sales of these products, and today the largest importers of Ukrainian flour are Moldova, Poland, Palestine, Romania, Croatia and Turkey, said Rybchynskyy.
In the EU countries, in particular Poland, Romania, Germany, Spain, Portugal, are actively exported cereals. Last year 68 thousand tons of cereals were exported to foreign markets, while during five months of 2023 – 38 thousand tons.
In this case, Rybchinsky noted a change in the ways of sending flour and cereals for export.
“We do not use the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the Danube ports. There the rent of one grain warehouse at a distance of 5-10 km from the quay wall can cost $100 thousand per month. Therefore, logistics related to work on the Danube, eat up all the possible earnings,” said the expert, adding that the main export of flour and cereals is carried by road and only 15% by rail.
According to the head of the industry association, exporters now have problems when crossing Western borders. Despite the electronic queue, cars with products stand in queues for 2-3 weeks.
“This has led to the loss of substantial contracts with Polish and Romanian retail chains, where Ukrainian suppliers have not been able to ensure timely delivery of products. Currently, Ukrainian mills have to work mainly with industrial processors,” Rybchynsky explained.
At the same time, he noted that Polish pasta made from Ukrainian flour has already appeared on the Ukrainian market.
Finland will provide Ukraine with the 17th package of military assistance, including air defense equipment and ammunition, the Finnish government said in a press release on Thursday.
According to the statement, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto made the decision based on the government’s proposal.
The aid package will cost Finland 105 million euros.
In order to ensure the safe delivery of military cargoes to their destination, more precise details about the content of the aid package, the timing and ways of its transportation are not reported.
In total, Finland has provided Ukraine with military assistance worth about 1.2 billion euros.
The risk of cholera in the south and east of Ukraine is higher than in other regions, says infectious disease doctor Olga Bonkovska.
“There is still a higher risk of cholera outbreaks in the south and east of Ukraine. These regions are the regions with the highest risk of a cholera epidemic,” she said on the air of the analytical center “Experts Club”.
Commenting on the risks of cholera outbreaks after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam was blown up, Bonkovska noted the danger of cholera, in particular, because “cholera starts as a common intestinal infection, and in the initial stages it is impossible to distinguish whether it is cholera or a common intestinal infection.”
“I do not recommend self-medication, because it will help if it is a common intestinal infection, but if it is cholera, there is no way to cure cholera at home,” she said.
The expert reminded that the main manifestation of cholera is dehydration.
“Due to severe dehydration, a person can go into shock with loss of all body functions, kidneys, heart, which can lead to death,” she said.
The infectious disease specialist emphasized that during cholera, “fluid loss becomes so severe that a person simply does not have time to replenish the fluid loss with water.”
“The rate of water excretion from the body exceeds the rate of water absorption during oral rehydration, and medical care in a hospital is needed to replenish water,” she said.
Bonkovska noted that in order to protect oneself from cholera, especially in the regions affected by flooding, it is necessary to drink bottled water or water that has been treated by boiling or using special tablets, wash fresh vegetables and fruits with bottled water or chilled boiled water, wash or disinfect hands with ordinary sanitizers, get rid of the habit of keeping hands in the mouth: take the rule “Hands out of the mouth!” as an axiom.
In addition, the infectious disease specialist recommends not eating with your hands, “as a last resort, keep a sandwich or any other food in a clean napkin,” not eating shrimp or fish without prior heat treatment, and swimming only in those bodies of water where it is allowed.
At the same time, the expert emphasized the inadmissibility of self-medication of acute intestinal infections with antibiotics.
“I don’t advise you to start treating diarrhea at home. It is still better to seek medical help,” she said.
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UkrLithium Mining LLC (“UkrLithium”) intends to build a lithium mine in Kirovograd region in compliance with international environmental standards.
According to a company press release, management considered two options for mining lithium-containing ores in Kirovograd Region: open-pit (open-pit) and shaft method.
“We decided on the mine method because the environmental component is important for us. We want to be esg-friendly (environmental, social and corporate management),” explained the director of strategic development of “Ukrlitydobycha” Denis Alyoshin in an interview with “Business Telegraph,” which is quoted by the press service.
According to him, although Ukraine is not yet in the European Union, but the company believes that the country will be there in the next few years. Therefore, it performs all works according to the highest European standards. The mine method is much less harmful to the environment than open-pit mining.
“The mine will cost much more for the project investors, but this is the method we choose. We will dive about 600 meters deep into the deposit. The second stage will be the construction of an enrichment plant, where we will turn the ore into petalite concentrate,” Aleshin explained.
“Ukrlytiy has signed a contract with the British company Wardell Armstrong, which will conduct research ESIA (Environmental and Social Impact Assessment) – an international analogue of the Ukrainian environmental study OIA (Environmental Impact Assessment). It is necessary in order to make the project of the mine and the mining and processing plant in compliance with international standards on the environment. For this purpose a mini-meteorological station will be installed on the territory of the future construction, samples of soil, water, etc. will be collected. Within about a year and a half a study will be carried out, the results of which will give recommendations and conclusions in the form of an extensive report, exactly how to minimize the potential impact on the environment.
The press release specifies that in 2017 LLC “Ukrlitydobycha” acquired a special permit for the development of Polokhovsky lithium deposit in Kirovograd region. As of 2023, preparatory work for the construction of the mine and concentrator has been or is being carried out.
From 2018 to 2021 several drilling campaigns were carried out (a total of more than 5,000 meters). This allowed a geological evaluation of reserves in accordance with the international JORC code.
Contracts have been signed for a Pre Feasibility Study, which will be completed by the end of 2023.
Work has begun on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Study, which takes about 1.5 years.
Definitive Feasibility Study is planned for 2024 – the last stage of the research to substantiate the key technological, financial and economic parameters of the project.
According to the company’s website, the mine is expected to operate for 15 to 20 years with an anticipated annual production of up to 200,000 tons of petalite concentrate. The company is also exploring the possibility of building a lithium hydroxide/carbonate plant.
“Ukrlytium” will also produce about 1,100 thousand tons per year of lithium-bearing feldspar.
The United Mining and Chemical Company PJSC (UMCC), which controls the Volnogorsky Integrated Mining and Metallurgical Plant (VMMC, Dnipropetrovsk Region) and the Irshansky Integrated Mining and Processing Plant (IGOK, Zhytomyr Region), has resumed operations at the IGOK after a long downtime since last October.
According to the company’s press-release, IGOK is restoring its capacities.
At the same time it is noted that beneficiation plant No. 3 was launched on July 5, and the concentrate will be processed using a dry scheme.
During the shift, the employees of IGCC produced 220 tons of ilmenite concentrate.
Dmitry Kalandadze, deputy chairman of OGKhK’s board, explained that the launch of the IGOK after a long downtime was a priority for the company.
“We know how important it was for our employees at the branch. Today some of them are already at their workplaces. Now we are on the threshold of global changes in the titanium industry, where OGKhK, as a state-owned company, has all chances to take leading positions and push Russia out of the international market forever. I’m sure that the launch of IGCC is a good signal for international partners and I hope that by the end of the year we will be able to achieve stable figures,” said Kalandadze, who was quoted by the press service.
Earlier, it was reported that OGCC plans to resume operations at Irshanskoye and bring the branch to pre-war production levels by the end of 2023. At the same time, the company is actively negotiating to sell products of IGOK to Western partners and plans to enrich ilmenite concentrate by the end of this year at 18 thousand tons per month.
The United Mining and Chemical Company began its actual activities in August 2014, when the Ukrainian government decided to transfer the property complexes of the Volnogorsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine (VMMC, Dnipropetrovsk Region) and the Irshansk Mining and Processing Combine (IGOK, Zhitomir Region) to its management. Earlier these plants were leased by Firtash’s structures. Then the company was transformed into a PAO, and then – into a PrJSC.
In August 2016, the government put OGCC on the list of companies to be privatized in 2017. Its deadline was postponed several times, and the tender was twice thwarted.
Previously, OGHK sold products to more than 30 countries and was one of the world’s largest producers of titanium raw materials, accounting for 4% of the global market. The company produces titanium ore.
