JSC “OTP BANK” offers Ukrainian enterprises a number of loan programs that will allow them to become energy independent and ensure uninterrupted business operation in the face of electricity shortages. This was stated by Valeriy Terno, Head of Sales to Medium Corporate Clients at OTP Bank, during a roundtable discussion on energy independence organized by the Financial Club.
“The bank has set itself the goal of stimulating the development of the market for energy-independent solutions and providing support to businesses in financing such projects. We prepare optimal offers and favorable conditions for each client. We are talking about low interest rates and the possibility of implementing them under government programs, as well as cashback, and with additional guarantees from the state, the EBRD, and other institutional investors, we will be able to further expand the decision-making criteria for implementing certain projects. We already have successful cases in this direction,” said Mr. Terno.
In particular, small and medium-sized businesses can count on financial support from OTP Bank under the program “Affordable Loans 5-7-9%”, which is being implemented by the government at the initiative of the President of Ukraine through the Entrepreneurship Development Fund.
Also, the joint program with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development allows us to offer investment loans to SMEs with the possibility of compensating part of the costs financed by the Bank’s credit funds. This loan can be used for long-term investments in green technologies (energy-efficient equipment, solar panels for power plants to meet their own needs) that meet European Union standards and will help increase the competitiveness of enterprises in domestic and foreign markets. After the implementation of the projects, customers will be able to apply for investment incentives (cash compensation, cashback).
“By installing solar panels or other elements, including gas turbine or gas piston stations, entrepreneurs will be able not only to ensure their own energy independence but also to sell the remaining energy produced to the grid, thereby contributing to the country’s energy security,” added the Head of Sales to Medium Corporate Clients at OTP Bank.
Following the attacks on the energy infrastructure in March and April, Vodafone has decided to double its planned investments in energy independence this year. Following this decision, the company plans to purchase additional generating capacity and autonomous power supply systems worth UAH 438 million. Total investments in the network’s energy resilience in 2022-2024 will exceed UAH 674 million.
Vodafone is investing in new types of batteries for its communication facilities. To improve reliability and extend the autonomous power supply time of its base stations, the company has already purchased 13.5 thousand batteries of a new lithium-ferrous type (LiFePO4). Such batteries are much better adapted to harsh operating conditions with frequent and prolonged power outages. Vodafone plans to purchase an additional 4,612 such batteries in 2024.
In addition, Vodafone will increase its generating capacity. More than 1.5 thousand base stations are already powered by generator sets, including the company’s own stationary and mobile generators, as well as generator sets of partners and customers. During the war alone, the company purchased about 500 mobile generators and the auxiliary equipment necessary for their operation. In 2024, the number of generating equipment of various types will increase by another 280 units.
Today, more than 700 partner generators ensure the network’s operation during outages, and this number is constantly growing. Vodafone is open for further cooperation – companies that have a diesel generator set and are ready to share its capacity to provide communication for their company and other subscribers within the base station coverage area can send a letter to no_blackout@vodafone.ua. Vodafone experts will be happy to discuss the details of possible cooperation.
During previous emergency outages, the company has already used more than 1,094 tons of diesel and gasoline. Vodafone’s power engineers have also ensured sufficient diesel and gasoline reserves to generate electricity to keep the grid running during the blackouts. To minimize the risks of a shortage of certain types of fuel and diversify fuel supplies, including on a regional basis, the company has increased the number of wholesale fuel suppliers with whom it has signed contracts and made significant fuel reserves.
Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest Internet provider by subscribers, continues to secure its Home Internet service in case of power outages. In 2023, the company invested more than UAH 200 million to provide uninterruptible power supplies for Home Internet. It will invest an additional UAH 50-70 million by the end of February 2024. The provider also continues to actively launch GPON Internet in different cities of Ukraine.
Kyivstar employees started connecting the Home Internet network to uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) in October 2022 and will continue to do so to provide 700 thousand subscribers with Internet access even in the event of a power outage. This modernization will allow the Home Internet network to operate in the absence of power for up to 5 hours.
In total, the service users will be provided with equipment for uninterrupted operation in 44 cities of Ukraine. In total, the provider plans to cover more than 22.3 thousand addresses where UPS will be installed. 180 specialists are involved in the process of installing, checking and testing equipment throughout Ukraine.
Kyivstar also started connecting the Internet using GPON technology at the end of 2023. In 2024, the company plans to partially modernize and replace existing technologies with GPON in some cities. This connection technology is more energy efficient.
“In the context of short- and medium-term outages, GPON can provide consumers with Internet access for longer, including because we build lines from base stations with mobile diesel generators. And as long as we have the human resources and the ability to supply fuel and components to keep the generator running at the base station, users connected via GPON technology will have the Internet signal,” commented Sergiy Sukhoruk, Head of Fixed Line Communications.
About Kyivstar
Kyivstar is Ukraine’s largest electronic communications operator, serving more than 24 million mobile subscribers and more than 1.1 million Home Internet subscribers as of September 2023. The company provides services using a wide range of mobile and fixed technologies, including 4G, Big Data, Cloud solutions, cybersecurity services, digital TV, etc. Kyivstar helps subscribers, society and the country to overcome the challenges of wartime. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the company has allocated more than UAH 1.4 billion in aid for the humanitarian needs of the Armed Forces, society and subscribers. Kyivstar’s sole shareholder is the international VEON Group (headquartered in the Netherlands). The Group’s shares are listed on NASDAQ (New York) and Euronext (Amsterdam). Kyivstar has been operating in Ukraine for 25 years and is recognized as the largest taxpayer in the telecom market, the best employer and a socially responsible company.
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, GPON, Home Internet, INVESTMENTS, KYIVSTAR
This was discussed at a meeting of the Head of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine Hanna Zamazieieva with representatives of the Czech RSJ Investments Foundation and their partner company.
The Czech partners assured of their desire to help Ukraine and Ukrainian communities become less energy dependent through bioenergy projects.
The Czech Fund is considering installing biomass boilers in Ukraine. The scale of the plans is impressive: the total capacity of the boiler houses is 80 MW, and the amount of investment is more than €12 million. The ultimate goal is to ensure uninterrupted heat supply in Ukrainian hospitals and other institutions.
“Such projects as alternative fuel boiler houses are one of the most relevant solutions for Ukrainian communities. It is an opportunity to provide heat, first of all, to critical infrastructure facilities, even during energy challenges,” emphasized Hanna Zamazeyeva.
The Chairman presented the significant potential of Ukrainian bioenergy, the legislative framework and the initiatives that the Agency’s team is working on to stimulate investment in this area.
The parties went through all the obstacles faced by market participants and discussed various ways to overcome them.
As a result of the meeting, the participants agreed to consolidate efforts to develop heat production from alternative fuels and the cultivation of energy crops.
Investments of Ukraine’s largest mobile operator Kyivstar in energy independence amounted to UAH 920 million for the entire period of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the company’s press service said.
“The national telecom operator prepares in advance for possible winter blackouts and provides the telecom network with diesel generators, long-lasting batteries, uninterruptible power supplies. Since the beginning of the full-scale war Kyivstar has invested UAH 920 mln in energy independence of telecom networks,” the press release says.
In particular, Kyivstar has allocated more than UAH 680 mln for autonomous operation of mobile communications, and for Home Internet – UAH 240 mln.
The company uses more than 2.5 thousand stationary and mobile diesel generators, thanks to which all key base stations, switches and critical telecom equipment have backup power. The base stations are equipped with 37 thousand new long-life batteries, which can operate without external power supply for 4-6 hours.
“Kyivstar plans to install 50 thousand uninterruptible power supply units by the end of the year, which will allow to achieve autonomy of 70% of fixed Internet networks in case of power outages.
The company is also developing energy-efficient GPON technology.
“Development of “Home Internet” network with the use of GPON technology is planned in the fourth quarter of 2023″, – specified in the press service of the company.
Kyivstar communication services are currently used by 24 million subscribers, “Home Internet” services – more than 1 million subscribers.
Additional expenses of the largest Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar on ensuring its energy independence amid the problems with external energy supply exceeded UAH 350 mln and the company has replaced more than 20 thousand batteries at base stations to extend their autonomous operation up to four to six hours.
Alexander Komarov, the President of the Company, informed at Business Wisdom Summit held this week that the batteries have been already replaced at 2 ths sites (base stations and other facilities) out of 14 ths and by May-June it will be up to 5 ths but the company goes to the Board of Directors with the proposal to expand this program by 4 ths more.
Earlier the president of the company noted that consumption of one base station is 6-7 kWh. New modern lithium-phosphate batteries allow not only to keep voltage longer but also to recharge faster.
He added that Kyivstar also installed 1,790 generators, of which 700 were provided by businesses on crowdfunding terms. Their total capacity reached 40 MW.
Komarov specified that since November the company uses on average about 10 thousand liters of fuel per day, and the total consumption has already made about 1 million liters.
According to him, to cope with the problems of outages also helps national roaming: in the peak day on November 23 Kyivstar took 1 million subscribers of other operators, while 1,3 million subscribers of Kyivstar used networks of competitors. In total, during the operation of national roaming since March 7, 2022 subscribers of other networks spoke in Kyivstar network 1.2 billion minutes.
In addition, the company also invested UAH 50 million in uninterruptible power supplies for “Home Internet” services: more than 10 thousand homes were equipped with uninterruptible power supplies, which guarantees them the availability of the Internet, even in cases of new blackouts.
Komarov specified that the total investment in the development of telcom-services in the past year amounted to 5.9 billion UAH, 659 new base stations were built, which corresponds to the level of 2021.
He reminded that during the war 18% of base stations of the company were completely destroyed, 20% were damaged and more than 1200 km of fiber-optic lines were damaged as well.
According to him, the company now has 24.8 million subscribers, of which 3.3 million are internally displaced. Komarov specified that 2.2 million subscribers went abroad, 1.4 million of them remained the company’s subscribers, including 95 % that use the service “roaming as home”, provided in 27 countries.
The president of “Kyivstar” noted that at the beginning of the war there were 10 million subscribers of the company outside their places of residence.
“The industry and Kyivstar have done very decently: the network indicators are very close to the pre-war period, the energy industry has stabilized, and the network has stabilized,” Komarov summarized.
