The national operator Datagroup is investing $20 million in a project to modernize the all-Ukrainian backbone network in partnership with the world leader in production of network equipment Cisco (the United States), the company’s press service said.
Datagroup notes that investments in the project will amount to $20 million, and the project itself will help the company bring the quality of services to a higher level.
At the same time, it is specified that the company carried out thorough preparation for a tender and chose the best world equipment manufacturers to participate in it. Based on the results of the tender, Cisco became the project vendor.
“In 2020, the company’s network traffic grew by 35%. We made a decision on a large-scale network modernization, which will allow us to implement our business strategy. It will also lay the foundation for business growth for 10 years: it will allow us to introduce various innovative services and attract new clients in corporate, public and private sectors,” CEO of Datagroup Mykhailo Shelemba said.
The press release says the total length of the Datagroup high-speed data transmission network is more than 22,000 km: these are long-distance DWDM and MPLS networks, and urban MPLS backbone networks in the major cities of the provider’s presence. The modernization will apply to all levels of the network and will significantly increase its throughput.
Datagroup was founded in 2000. It is one of the largest B2B operators in Ukraine, provides services in more than 90 settlements of the country.
The company provides Internet connection, telephony, television and video surveillance services, as well as a cloud service from Microsoft and a range of cybersecurity services – DataProtect.
Data Group in 2019 increased its net profit by 6.97 times compared to 2018, to UAH 141.764 million.
Almost all works were carried out manually, because it is impossible to use heavy equipment at the object, co-owner of the company Yevhen Konovalov told Interfax-Ukraine.
The new alleys were paved with uniform pattern granite tiles and new street light poles with modern LED lamps were installed, the company said.
The stairs, lecture center and art compositions were decorated with lighting.
Also, the retaining wall was reinforced. Benches were installed. New trees and shrubs were planted.
Automatic retractable poles were installed to limit access of vehicles to the alley. In addition, the runoff water system was replaced.
Peizazhna Alley is a landmark in central Kyiv. A view of Podil and the Dnipro River opens from the observation platform, which is located in the Upper City.
The alley was constructed in 1980. Sculptures, art installations and a square appeared there as time went on.
The facility requires an extensive overhaul. The second stage of the modernization starts in the near future and will be completed in 2021.
The project was carried out by Rostdorstroy LLC, a part of the RDS group of road construction companies, which won a tender worth UAH 110 million at the beginning of 2020.
RDS Group is included in the top three road construction companies of Ukraine. It includes Kyivshliakhbud and Rostdorstroy. The core business is construction, reconstruction and maintenance of roads and bridges, construction of airfield complexes.
As of July 2020, the company worked in nine regions of Ukraine and had ten production facilities. In particular, it was constructing concrete road N-14 Kropyvnytsky-Mykolaiv, a railway overpass road and a section of the first in Ukraine concrete road within the framework of the overhauls of highway N-31 Dnipro-Reshetylivka in Poltava region. In 2019, the company won a World Bank’s tender for works on first-category highway M-03 Kyiv-Kharkiv-Dovzhansky.
The ultimate beneficial owners of RDS Group are Ukrainian citizens Yuriy Shumakher and Yevhen Konovalov.
KONOVALOV, KYIV, MODERNIZATION, PEIZAZHNA ALLEY, RDS, SHUMAKHER
The Miroplast plant (Dnipro), part of the Alef corporation of businessman Vadym Yermolaev and one of the largest producers of PVC window profiles in Eastern Europe, is investing more than UAH 60 million in the modernization of production facilities, planning to upgrade its facilities by the end of 2020.
“As a result, the number of extruders will increase to 31, the monthly production capacity will grow up to 5,870 tonnes of PVC profiles, and the maximum annual capacity will be 70,440 tonnes, which is 30% more than in 2019,” Yermolaev said on his Facebook page.
He said that part of the investments will be committed to modernizing warehouse equipment and improving warehouse logistics in general.
According to information on the company’s website, from 2012 to 2018, the number of extruders increased from 27 to 29, and the maximum monthly capacity – from 4,000 tonnes to 4,500 tonnes.
According to the company’s press service, high-speed extrusion lines for the production of PVC profiles and window sills have been purchased, and the increase in capacity is due to an increase in demand for Ukrainian-made products among domestic and foreign consumers.
Miroplast began its operations in 2006. In 2007, seven extruders with a monthly capacity of 780 tonnes were installed. The company manufactures profile systems for windows and doors under the WDS trademark.
Kovalska Industrial Construction Group has invested UAH 80 million in the modernization of the production complex of PrJSC TNC Granit (Korosten district of Zhytomyr region), expects to increase the volume of crushed stone production in the quarry by 20%. “TNC Granit annually produces up to 1.4 million cubic meters of crushed stone. Updating the equipment will increase production by 20% … Kovalska allocated UAH 80 million of investments for the modernization of the quarry. The work lasted nine months. During this time the complex was updated by 30-40%,” the company’s press service said.
In particular, according to its data, 17 units of new equipment were put into operation as a result of the upgrade.
“From now on, our capacities allow us not only to provide the Kovalska group of companies with high quality raw materials, but also sell crushed stone to external partners,” Serhiy Pylypenko, the director general of Kovalska, said.
Kovalska has been operating in the construction market of Ukraine since 1956. It is the leading manufacturer of construction materials, the developer and builder of the country. It combines two quarries and nine factories manufacturing construction materials.
In addition, the group includes Kovalska Real Estate, which is engaged in construction of residential objects in Kyiv.
The Energy Efficiency Fund plans within five years to finance over 16,000 projects under the Energodom program to support energy-efficient modernization for homeowner associations, Director of the fund Yulia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu has said.
“Our Energodom program began its work on September 3. We are starting the phase of project implementation. We plan that by 2023 almost 9,000 projects will be implemented, and by 2025 more than 16,000 projects,” the director of the fund said during the presentation of the Energodom program on Wednesday.
According to her, by the end of 2025, gas savings due to energy-efficient modernization will amount to 1.5 billion cubic meters.
The Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Olena Babak said that energy-efficient modernization will reduce the level of thermal energy consumption for the “light” package by 20%, for the “complex” package – by 60%.
In addition, 720 energy auditors have passed certification to date, and over the next two years their number should grow to 5,000, Hennadiy Zubko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy in 2014-2019, said.
EFFICIENCY FUND, ENERGY-EFFICIENT, FINANCE, MODERNIZATION, PROJECTS
Ukrainian gas transmission system (GTS) operator JSC Ukrtransgaz (UTG) has addressed the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB) with a request to revise current modernization loan agreements for Ukraine’s section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline. UTG said in its press release that one of the reasons for which it is unable to implement the loan program was the operator’s failure to meet the financial stability requirements outlined in the loan agreements with the EBRD and EIB (due to tariffs for its services which have been set too low since the end of last year).
The company added that reliability and effectiveness of the Ukrainian section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline could be improved with a significantly smaller amount of assets (than it is envisaged in the loan agreements).
“For this reason the company is asking the EBRD to reduce the amount of its loan as long as a EUR 125 million investment (instead of EUR 300 million) is sufficient for the achievement of its primary goals,” reads the statement.
UTG also asked the financial institutions to hold consultations with the Ukrainian government in order to determine the extent of liability on the loan agreements for UTG and a new GTS operator as well as the mechanism for use of funds and loan servicing after the completion of the unbundling process in Ukraine.
As reported, UTG signed a EUR 300 million loan agreement with the EBRD and EIB (EUR 150 million from each) for the modernization of Ukraine’s section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline. Ukrtransgaz will also invest EUR 166 million of its own funds in the project.
Ukrtransgaz, a 100% subsidiary of Naftogaz Ukrainy, operates Ukraine’s system of trunk gas pipelines and 12 underground gas storage facilities.
GAS PIPELINE, LOAN, MODERNIZATION, REVISE, UKRTRANSGAZ, URENGOY-POMARY-UZHGOROD
