Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ) may create a freight carrier company by the end of 2023 to operate in Europe, UZ board chairman Alexander Kamyshyn confirmed to Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“It is true, we have to develop a European carrier both in passenger transportation and in cargo transportation. We have shown that we can be efficient, and those of our citizens who have used the services of European railroads have appreciated the difference in schedule, service, and many other things,” Kamyshyn said.
The necessity of creating one’s own company for cargo transportation outside of Ukraine is dictated by the fact that Ukrainian cargo carriers have difficulties working with European carriers. “Unfortunately, it is difficult for our cargo carriers to use European freight,” said Kamyshyn.
According to the head of UZ, such a company can be created by the end of the year. “There is hope, and we are doing everything to make it come true, but the speed of approvals in Europe, unfortunately, we would like it to be faster,” said Kamyshyn.
He also noticed that in order to establish a cargo carrier company one should not only buy the rolling stock, but also to get a license, to register and to hire a team.
Earlier it was reported that in the framework of the project UZ bought 40 tank cars European way, which will be supplied to the chain of diesel fuel in Ukraine, and plans to buy 100 fitting platforms.
Demand for office space in Europe recovered sharply last year, recovering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which contributed to rental growth and partially compensated for the price correction associated with rising interest rates, according to a Cushman & Wakefield review.
According to the experts, in total 12.6 million square meters of office space was leased in Europe in 2022. The figure rose by 15% compared to the previous year, when many employees of companies worked remotely because of the pandemic.
Rents were up 6.2% in the fourth quarter of 2022 from a year earlier. This is the fastest year-over-year increase since mid-2008.
The strong demand for office space is due in part to companies looking to bring employees back to their offices after the removal of anti-covid restrictions.
“Tenants are focused on taking the best offices in their segment in the most attractive locations to attract and retain employees,” said Nigel Almond, director of data analytics at Cushman & Wakefield.
Companies also want to occupy offices in buildings that meet environmental standards, which have become more stringent, the expert said.
Analysts recorded an increase in activity in 23 out of 30 European markets of office buildings, which it monitors. Meanwhile, it was not active enough to compensate for the increase in the amount of available office space.
According to the company, the total available office space in Europe increased by 0.7% to 22.6 million square meters. The lowest level of availability was recorded in Luxembourg – 4,2%.
President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola believes Ukraine will become a member of the European Union.
On Thursday in Brussels at the European Parliament, welcoming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, she said: “I am proud to say that this House of European Democracy, its members, our European Union – have always stood with you. We understand that you are fighting not only for your values, but for ours. For those ideals that bind us as sisters and brothers. That make us, all, European. Because Ukraine is Europe and your nation’s future is in the European Union.”
The President of the European Parliament called for the EU to show support for Ukraine “not only with words but with action: with the political will to ensure easier trade with the fastest possible accession process. With funds for your people, with help in reconstruction, with training for your troops. With military equipment and defense systems you need to win.”
Metsola also said the world is going through “extraordinary times” right now. “It has been almost one year since the brutal, illegal invasion of sovereign Ukraine by Russia. In all that time, Mr President, your leadership has inspired your people and inspired every corner of the globe. When the world thinks of Ukraine they think of heroes fighting the odds, of David beating Goliath,” she said.
The President of the European Parliament also called the decision of the Ukrainian leadership to send aid to the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria “real solidarity.”
Electricity imports on January 21 will amount to almost 7 thou MWh – it is 290-291 MWh every hour, according to data on the website of the Continental Europe System Operators Network ENTSO-E.
According to the information, the electricity is supplied from Slovakia.
As reported on January 21, the interstate section of 290MW for every hour of the day was booked by “D.Trading”, 5MW for all hours of “ERU Trading”, as well as 1MW for three hours from 16:00 to 19:00″ August.
For Jan. 22, D. Trading and ERU Trading booked the same capacity plus 1 MW each for the two nightly hours of NAP Community.
A total of 300-350 MW was auctioned, depending on the hour of the day, with a buyout price of 0 UAH/MWh.
According to DaM Europe in the established JSC “Market Operator” Telegram channel, the average price for electricity on the Slovak Republic on January 21 – 130.83 EUR / MWh, in Ukraine, the price of electricity BASE period on the DAM – 83.71 EUR / MWh.
The import supply on January 21 is the third in January reflected on the ENTSO-E website. The first was on January 15 – a total of 655 MWh: three hours of 50 MW (from 02:00 – 05:00), the following hours of 125 MW, 170 MW and 150 MW, and from 21:00-22:00 another 20 MW. D. Trading (130 MW each for all hours), ERU Trading (20 MW each for all hours), and Nextrade (20-30 MW depending on the hour) booked the section for that day. The second was for January 20, 220 MW in the last hour of the day, the cross-section for which was bought by D.Trading.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in early January approved a regulation on the peculiarities of electricity imports during the autumn-winter period of 2022/2023, which as an incentive for businesses to import more expensive European resource gave guarantees of non-disconnection on the volume of imported electricity. According to Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko at a briefing on 20 January, in order to receive guarantees of non-disconnection, businesses must import a significant amount of electric power in accordance with their consumption, indicating that “it cannot be 1 MW”.
The ongoing decrease in physical flows of Russian natural gas through Ukraine and Turkey in January 2023 indicates that traders no longer see the risks of Europe passing this winter, the former head of the Ukrainian GTS Operator Serhiy Makohon said.
He wrote about it on his page in Facebook.
Application for transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian GTS on January 19 reduced by 25% (8.2 million cubic meters) compared to January 18 – up to 24.4 million cubic meters, including in Europe goes 19 million cubic meters, the rest – to Moldova, said Makogon.
“This shows that Western traders do not see the risks of passing this winter, so they are not willing to import gas at any price. And when gas prices on stock exchanges fell to $600 per thousand cubic meters, traders refused to order additional volumes under existing long-term contracts with Gazprom in favor of purchase on the exchange,” explained the former head of UGTSU.
“And the Freeport LNG terminal, which is responsible for 20% of U.S. LNG exports and has been under repair since June, will also start working very soon. Therefore, Gazprom’s profits will clearly be unenviable. The russian energy blackmail did not pass,” he added.
As reported, since June 2022, the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian GTS was about 42 million cubic meters, from January-2023 it began to gradually decline against the background of warm weather, high levels of stocks in the EU UGS and declined to a 16-month low stock prices in Europe.
On Friday, 12 bulk carriers with corn, wheat, soybeans and sunflower meal left Ukrainian ports, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) reports.
“On January 13, twelve vessels left Ukrainian ports, they are transporting a total of 346,356 tonnes of grain and other food within the framework of the Black Sea grain initiative,” the report says.
Two bulk carriers Cuma (70,799 tonnes of corn) and Georgia T (61,252 tonnes of sunflower meal) are heading to China, two vessels Solar (37,205 tonnes of wheat) and Bosphorus King (25,000 tonnes of corn) are heading to Italy. Two more bulk carriers Rio (8,500 tonnes of wheat) and Umit G (4,300 tonnes of wheat) headed for Greece.
The vessel Papua will deliver 29,300 tonnes of soybeans to the Netherlands, the vessel Cape Scott – 28,000 tonnes of corn to Portugal, the vessel New Faith – 26,500 tonnes of corn to Spain.
In addition, two vessels Garnet (33,000 tonnes of corn) and Muzaffer Ana (11,500 tonnes of soybeans) went to Turkey. Lady Hatice will ship 11,000 tonnes of sunflower meal to Morocco.
Five vessels are also being sent to the ports of Ukraine, which passed through the humanitarian corridor on Friday.
The JCC reported that “79 applications for participation in the initiative were submitted.” Ten vessels are awaiting permission to enter the ports of Ukraine, 14 loaded vessels are awaiting departure to their destinations.
“As of January 13, the total tonnage of grain and other agricultural products exported from three Ukrainian ports is 17.3 million tonnes. A total of 1,286 vessels have been allowed to move at the moment: 639 to arrive at Ukrainian ports and 647 to exit them,” the JCC summed up.
