Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

“OKKO” has installed rooftop solar power plants at 244 filling stations – total capacity 5.9 MW

The total capacity of SPPs in the network of OKKO filling stations has reached 5.9 MW: these are stations at 244 filling stations, 40 of which were put into operation in the first half of 2025, the company’s press service reports.

“In the first half of 2025, OKKO commissioned rooftop SPPs at 40 more filling stations, as well as on the building of its trucking company. Thus, 244 filling stations of the network are already meeting part of their electricity needs with sunlight. Their total capacity now reaches 5.9 MW,” the company said in a release on Monday.

It is specified that the capacity of its rooftop SPPs is mainly 15-25 kW, although there are several stations with 50-65 kW.

“Depending on the capacity, electricity consumption, configuration, and other factors, one such SPP can cover 15% to 55% of the daily consumption of gas stations during the period of active generation,” the company said.

According to the press release, OKKO intends to continue solar electrification of its filling stations, and in the coming years, rooftop SPPs may be installed at about 100 more of them, where there are technical possibilities for this.

It is specified that OKKO will invest UAH 30 million (including VAT) in the SPP project at its filling stations in 2025.

“It is expected that in 2025 the total generation of solar stations at OKKO filling stations will exceed 5 million kWh,” the release says.

As reported with reference to Vasyl Danyliak, CEO of OKKO Group, OKKO Group, which includes the operator of the eponymous filling station network, Concern Galnaftogaz, plans to have approximately 600 MW of capacity in wind power, 200 MW in solar power and 150 MW in energy storage facilities over the next five years.

The network under the OKKO brand includes approximately 400 filling stations.

 

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OKKO expands agribusiness: investments in Kairos Holding and new bioethanol plant

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has granted permission to Vitaly Antonov’s Vi.An Holding Limited (Limassol, Cyprus) to acquire control over Kairos Holding LLC, the AMCU press service reported on Facebook.

“The decision to acquire is a logical continuation of our development strategy in the agricultural sector and expansion of the land bank. The interest in Ternopil and Rivne regions, where the land bank of the above-mentioned company is concentrated, is due to both favorable natural and climatic conditions and better yields compared to other regions of Ukraine,” the corporate communications department of OKKO Group commented on the AMCU’s decision.

The company also reminded that it is completing the construction of an elevator with a storage capacity of 60 thousand tons, and a bioethanol plant is under construction, which is expected to start production in the second half of 2026. The facilities are designed to produce 85 thousand tons of bioethanol per year, both for domestic needs and for sale to foreign markets.

In addition, OKKO called the partnership with Gadz-Agro (Ternopil region) an important component of its agricultural portfolio, with which the company is developing agricultural production.

Kairos Holding LLC was founded in 2024 in Lviv. The company specializes in growing cereals, legumes and oilseeds, organizing the construction of buildings, intermediary in the trade of a wide range of goods, wholesale of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, etc.

According to the Opendatabot service, in 2024, the company received revenue of UAH 1.543 million, a net loss of UAH 1.136 million, has debt obligations of UAH 857.395 million, and assets are estimated at UAH 856.31 million. The authorized capital is UAH 50 thousand. The company employs 1 employee. The beneficiaries are businessmen Bohdan Kuspis and Ivan Kotsyo, who own a number of bakery plants in Lviv and Vinnytsia, restaurants, construction companies, etc.

OKKO Group unites more than 10 diversified businesses in manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, maintenance and other services. The flagship company of the group is Galnaftogaz, which operates one of the largest filling stations in Ukraine under the OKKO brand, with about 400 filling stations.

The group’s founder and ultimate beneficiary is Vitaliy Antonov.

 

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Oschadbank increased its loan to OKKO to UAH 2.85 bln

The state-owned Oschadbank (Kyiv) has almost doubled the credit limit available to OKKO Group, increasing it from UAH 1.5 billion to UAH 2.85 billion, which is provided for a period of two years.

“Currently, OKKO Group’s loan portfolio at Oschadbank is the largest among all their financial partners. Oschadbank’s liquidity level allows us to continue expanding this portfolio in line with our partner’s ambitious plans,” said Yuriy Katsion, deputy chairman of the board of Oschadbank responsible for corporate business, as quoted by the financial institution’s press service.

The increase in the credit limit will enable the group to manage its operating expenses more efficiently, in particular to maintain the necessary level of fuel reserves, which is important given the market dynamics and plans to expand the OKKO network of gas stations, which currently has 410 facilities, according to the press release.

It is noted that Oschadbank has been cooperating with OKKO Group companies since 2016, but the partnership has significantly strengthened since the start of the full-scale war. In March 2022, during the fuel crisis, the financial institution provided one of the group’s companies with an overdraft of UAH 500 million, thereby enabling it to import additional fuel. Since then, the volume of working capital financing has increased to UAH 1.5 billion.

OKKO Group is a Ukrainian holding company that unites businesses in the fields of trade, construction, agriculture, energy, tourism, and services. The group is based on the OKKO filling station network, which also includes catering establishments, fuel quality control laboratories, shops at filling stations, wholesale sales of petroleum products, and related services.

As reported, in the first quarter of 2025, Oschadbank signed almost three times more loan agreements with corporate clients than in the same period of 2024. Last year, the corporate segment’s loan portfolio grew by UAH 9.3 billion compared to 2023. About 34% of the agreements concluded in 2024 were aimed at financing investment projects.

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OKKO invests in green energy: 950 MW over 5 years

The OKKO Group, which includes the operator of the eponymous network of gas filling stations, Concern Galnaftogaz, plans to have approximately 600 MW of wind power capacity over the next five years, 200 MW in solar energy, and 150 MW in energy storage facilities (ESF), according to Vasyl Danylyak, CEO of OKKO GROUP and co-founder of GORO Mountain Resort.

“In the energy sector, we see ourselves in about five years with approximately 600 MW in wind, 200 MW in solar, and about 150 MW in batteries. We have already accomplished some of these goals,” he said during a Forbes Ukraine Business Breakfast broadcast on his YouTube channel on Thursday.

He also added that in the agricultural sector, which is a very interesting business, the group sees its KPI (key performance indicator) as increasing efficiency per hectare.

At the same time, he denied the possible exit of the group’s fuel business to public capital markets, but suggested that this could be done to some extent for other areas of activity.

“We thought about the public capital market for our core business, retail. This is not possible now because the fuel business has become unfashionable and toxic for capital markets, banks, and MFIs. But if we are talking about other businesses, then most likely it will not be classic public capital markets, but perhaps specialized large funds operating in certain areas. This is more realistic,” said the CEO of OKKO.

As reported, the OKKO Group is building the 147 MW Ivanychi wind farm in the Volyn region with a total cost of EUR 225 million (excluding VAT) and is seeking financing for its second wind energy project in this region, the 192 MW Zatyrintsy wind farm, which is estimated at EUR 250 million (excluding VAT).

The group also won a five-year special auction held by NEC Ukrenergo for the provision of power system balancing services, at which it announced the installation of a 20 MW energy storage facility (ESF).

In addition, the group plans to open a new 60,000-tonne elevator by autumn 2025 and a bioethanol plant in summer 2026. An important component of OKKO’s agricultural portfolio is its partnership with Gadz-Agro in the Ternopil region, in which the company acquired a stake in 2023. The enterprise cultivates 26,000 hectares of land and has about 10,000 head of cattle, including 5,000 dairy cows. It is also one of the largest horticultural farms in Ukraine, but OKKO decided not to integrate the horticulture business into its operations.

OKKO Group unites more than 10 diverse businesses in the fields of manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, services, and other services. The flagship company of the group is Galnaftogaz, which operates one of the largest gas station chains in Ukraine under the OKKO brand, with almost 400 gas stations.

The founder and ultimate beneficiary of the group is Vitaliy Antonov.

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During three years of war, OKKO has reconstructed 130 gas stations and increased its market share to 22%

During the war, the OKKO gas station network has reconstructed about a third of its gas stations, investing $350-400 thousand in each modernization, said Vasyl Danylyak, CEO of OKKO GROUP and co-founder of GORO Mountain Resort.

“In three years of war, OKKO has updated a third of its network. I believe this is the highest figure among all networks operating in Ukraine today,” Danylyak said in the company’s YouTube project DIALOGI.

As Danylyak explained, the decision to modernize the gas stations was linked to the desire to maintain market leadership amid a decline and fierce competition. He noted that the war has significantly changed the distribution of gas station chains in the market, with OKKO increasing its share from approximately 15% at the start of the war to 22% by the end of 2022. Thus, according to him, OKKO took first place, although before the war it was held by the Privat group, which also had a 22-24% share.

“But we understood that we needed to consolidate our position on the market. And we decided to carry out a massive rebranding and reconstruction of our first-generation filling stations,” said the CEO of OKKO.

He added that the modernization began in mid-2022 and became widespread in 2023. According to him, approximately 60 gas stations were modernized in 2023 and 2024.

“On average, the reconstruction of one gas station – interior and exterior – cost approximately $350,000 in 2023. Today, due to slight price increases, it is about $400,000,” Danilyak said.

According to the OKKO CEO, the network has lost approximately $120 million since the beginning of 2022 due to the destruction of its oil depots as a result of Russian sanctions.

OKKO Group unites more than 10 diverse businesses in the fields of manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, services, and other services. The group’s flagship company is Galnaftogaz, which operates one of the largest gas station chains in Ukraine under the OKKO brand, with about 400 gas stations.

The founder and ultimate beneficiary of the group is Vitaliy Antonov.

OKKO to open elevator and launch bioethanol production for export

The OKKO Group plans to open a new 60,000-tonne elevator by autumn 2025 and a bioethanol plant in summer 2026, OKKO Group CEO Vasyl Danylyak said in an interview with Tomas Fiala, co-founder of investment company Dragon Capital.

According to him, the company began construction of an 83,000-ton bioethanol plant last year. Only part of its production will be supplied to the domestic market, with the rest intended for export.

“In Ukraine, since May 1 of this year, there have been mandates to add 5% bioethanol to fuel in accordance with European standards, but this share may increase to 10%. Accordingly, after analyzing our market share, we decided to build a plant with a capacity of 83,000 tons. In addition, we worked with American consultants, who are number one in the market, on the format of the plant’s operation. Thanks to this, we chose the best option: it will work partly for our group and partly for export,” said Danylyak.

The CEO emphasized that by the fall of this year, the group of companies plans to complete the construction of a 60,000-ton storage elevator, and in June-July next year, it expects to fully launch the plant.

Danylyak also said that this year OKKO Group closed a deal to buy 17,000 hectares of land in the north of the Ternopil region and the south of the Rivne region, increasing its land bank to 50,000 hectares.
“As of today, we have a total of about 50,000 hectares under cultivation,” the top manager said.

He explained the interest in these regions by the favorable natural and climatic conditions and the best yield indicators compared to other regions.

Danylyak noted that an important component of OKKO’s agricultural portfolio is its partnership with the Gadz-Agro enterprise in the Ternopil region, in which the company acquired a stake in 2023. The enterprise cultivates 26,000 hectares of land and has about 10,000 head of cattle, of which 5,000 are dairy cows. It is also one of the largest horticultural farms in Ukraine, but OKKO decided not to integrate the horticultural part of the business.

OKKO Group unites more than 10 diverse businesses in the fields of manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, services, and other services. The group’s flagship company is Galnaftogaz, which operates one of the largest petrol station chains in Ukraine under the OKKO brand, with around 400 petrol stations.

The founder and ultimate beneficiary of the group is Vitaliy Antonov.

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