Ukraine’s public debt to GDP ratio from 2009 to 2023 (UAH mln)
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
NAEK Energoatom and the American company Westinghouse started the project of KNPP-5 and KNPP-6 construction using AR1000 technology.
The project launch ceremony was held on April 11 at the Khmelnytsky nuclear plant site with the participation of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko (information is delayed for security reasons).
As Energoatom Acting Chairman Petro Kotin noted at the ceremony, the AR1000 is a proven Reactor III with unique fully passive safety systems, modular standard design, industry-leading performance and maneuverability.
“It is a more advanced and safer technology than the ones we currently operate. It is a new step towards a more modern, reliable and safe energy industry. And it is in Ukraine that Europe’s first power unit based on AR1000 technology will be built. It will be KNPP-5,” Kotin said.
“We are proud that we will join the history that Ukraine is making in the energy sector. We can already say that our cooperation is the wedding of the year,” Patrick Fragman, President and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company, pointed out.
He emphasized that it is an improved technology with increased efficiency, and the unit itself is compact and lower cost compared to others.
“Here at the KNPP site, we note that the heavy equipment, which takes the longest to manufacture, is now ready, and this will significantly accelerate the construction schedule. Thanks to the assistance of the US government and the fact that the main agreements have been signed, it will be even faster,” he emphasized.
Fragman added that the AR1000 reactor is designed to operate for 60 years, but he said it is likely to be longer.
“These units provide a balancing act. This is a special feature of the American AR1000 technology. Now Russian aggressors are destroying Ukraine’s balancing capacity, and if we already had such a nuclear power unit, we could maneuver it and accordingly perform important functions for the energy system,” Galushchenko stressed.
“This is a project for the next long years. The US is set for fruitful cooperation with Ukraine… We are trying together with the US Congress to support you not only within the framework of armed aggression, but also economically,” Brink emphasized.
As for the sources of financing the project, according to Kotin, the company could provide it on its own, as it has large profits, but the lion’s share of them goes to cover the tariff for electricity for the population (PEP).
“Energoatom spent 128 billion UAH of net profit on the PCO in the previous year. If the company is exempted from the PCO, we will have $3 bln of profit for which we can build the unit. If not, we are talking about loans,” Kotin told reporters after the ceremony.
He added that the construction period of one block is tentatively 4-5 years, and its cost is about $5 billion.
As reported, on December 17, 2023 in Kiev, the head of Energoatom Petro Kotin and Westinghouse CEO Patrick Fragman signed a contract for the purchase of a reactor unit for Ukraine’s first nuclear power unit based on AP1000 technology.
One of the largest grain market operators in Ukraine, Nibulon JV LLC (Mykolaiv), has started the 2024 spring crops sowing campaign, for which it will allocate 38 thou hectares, up 35.7% year-on-year, the grain trader’s press service reported on Facebook.
According to the report, the agricultural division of Nibulon has made adjustments to the structure of the sown areas. Thus, in the 2024 season, the corn and soybean planting areas will be increased, while the sunflower planting areas will be reduced.
“This is due to the price expectations of this year’s grain consignments and the forecast of a better economic result. In total, the company purchased 3,000 sowing units of sunflower, 22,000 of corn, plans to purchase 40 tons of soybeans, and has laid and prepared 500 tons of soybean seeds of its own production for sowing,” Nibulon said.
Due to weather conditions, the sowing campaign has already started in four Nibulon clusters and is underway in Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky and Zhytomyr regions. Given favorable conditions, the company’s farmers expect to finish sowing by mid-May at the rate of 2.0 thousand hectares per day.
Oleg Veselov, Nibulon’s Director of Agricultural Production, noted that there are currently no risks for the 2024 harvest. The company expects the gross harvest of spring crops to be 200 thou tons of corn, 15 thou tons of soybeans, and 25 thou tons of sunflower.
Nibulon JV LLC was established in 1991. Prior to the Russian military invasion, the grain trader had 27 transshipment terminals and crop reception complexes, a one-time storage capacity of 2.25 million tons of agricultural products, a fleet of 83 vessels (including 23 tugs), and owned the Mykolaiv Shipyard.
“Before the war, Nibulon cultivated 82 thousand hectares of land in 12 regions of Ukraine and exported agricultural products to more than 70 countries. In 2021, the grain trader exported the highest ever 5.64 million tons of agricultural products, reaching record volumes of supplies to foreign markets in August – 0.7 million tons, in the fourth quarter – 1.88 million tons, and in the second half of the year – 3.71 million tons.
Nibulon’s losses due to Russia’s full-scale military invasion in 2022 exceeded $416 million.
Currently, the grain trader is operating at 32% of capacity, has created a special unit to clear agricultural land of mines, and was forced to move its headquarters from Mykolaiv to Kyiv.
Internal and external debt of Ukraine in 2010-2024
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Global stainless steel production in 2023 increased by 4.6% compared to 2022 to 58.444 million tonnes, while production declined in all major regions except China, according to a press release from the World Stainless Association (formerly the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF)).
According to the information, in Europe last year, stainless steel production decreased by 6.2% to 5.902 million tons by 2022, and in the United States – by 9.6% to 1.824 million tons.
In Asia (excluding China and South Korea), stainless steel production decreased by 7.2% to 6.880 million tons, while in China it increased by 12.6% to 36.676 million tons.
Other regions (Brazil, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Indonesia) recorded a 5.2% decline in production to 7.163 million tons.
As reported, global stainless steel production in 2022 decreased by 5.2% to 55.255 million tons. At the same time, in Europe in 2022, production decreased by 12.4% to 6.294 million tons, and in the United States – by 14.8% to 2.017 million tons. In Asia (excluding China and South Korea), stainless steel production decreased by 4.9% to 7.411 million tons, while in China it fell by 2% to 31.975 million tons.
Other regions recorded a 9.1% decline in production to 7.557 million tons.
International agricultural research company Corteva Agriscience and state-owned Oschadbank (Kyiv) are expanding their partnership lending program to Ukrainian agricultural producers to enable them to purchase the company’s crop protection products on favorable terms, the company’s press service said.
According to the press release, under the terms of this lending program, farmers can purchase sunflower, corn and winter rape seeds of premium genetics of the Pioneer® brand at reduced rates.
Farmers wishing to purchase Corteva plant protection products in the amount of UAH 200 thousand or more can take out a loan with an interest rate of 0.01% per annum in UAH, depending on the repayment schedule, loan term and availability of collateral. There is no loan disbursement fee. The maximum loan term is 12 months. To apply, farmers should contact Corteva representatives in their region.
Borrowers under this program will provide Oschadbank with a simplified list of documents and can expect priority consideration of their application, as well as a shorter time for making a loan decision.
“Launched in February, Corteva’s program of lending at reduced rates for the purchase of Pioneer seeds in partnership with Oschadbank was well received by farmers, so we are pleased to welcome the willingness of our partners to expand the program to give farmers better access to Corteva’s advanced crop protection products,” explained Elena Dunina, Financial Head of Corteva Agriculture in Ukraine, Central Asia and the Caucasus.
“The agricultural sector suffered significant losses during the war. The State Bank considers it its mission to support agrarians and provide them with the most extensive package of opportunities. (…) Thanks to the simple and flexible terms of the Corteva partnership program, agricultural producers can get a loan at reduced rates, replenish working capital and optimize costs,” said Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska, Oschadbank Board Member in charge of micro, small and medium-sized businesses.
Corteva Agriculture is a global agricultural company. It offers comprehensive solutions to maximize yields and profitability. It has more than 150 research facilities and more than 65 active ingredients in its portfolio.
The company’s presence in Ukraine includes the headquarters in Kyiv, a research center in Liubartsi village (Kyiv region) and a seed production complex in Stasi village (Poltava region).
In April 2022, the company decided to leave the Russian market due to the full-scale war against Ukraine waged by Russia.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), as of February 1 this year, Oschadbank ranked second in terms of total assets (UAH 369.56 billion) among 63 banks operating in the country.
agricultural producer, CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE, LENDING, OSCHADBANK
