PrJSC Ukrainian Danube Navigation plans to raise up to EUR 200 million in the next five years to modernize the fleet, acting chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Danube Navigation Oleksiy Khomiakov has told Interfax-Ukraine.
He also estimates the size of investments in the new fleet or in-depth modernization of the existing fleet of all market players that will be necessary to implement the full potential of the Dnipro River in the next five years in the amount of about EUR 1.7 billion.
“In the next five years, we plan to raise up to EUR 200 million, which will be used to modernize the fleet that is in the holding anchorage, as well as the possible construction of new units in cooperation with leading shipyards in the world,” Khomiakov said.
According to him, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine evaluates the Ukrainian Danube Navigation as the main national carrier, served to make up for the missing system offer to the main exporters of Ukraine for transportation along the Dnipro River.
He said that the company is negotiating with the institutional investors, who are interested in collaborating and investing in a new, more environmentally preferred and efficient fleet, capable of fully meeting Ukraine’s export needs for decades ahead, complementing the overloaded railway and automobile infrastructure.
“However, we still need to overcome a number of obstacles by creating an effective model of enterprise management, having an international audit performed, raising government guarantees and then come close to receiving relevant financing from the EBRD, the IFC, etc.,” Khomiakov said.
