In January-October 2024, Ruta, a major Ukrainian manufacturer of sanitary and hygienic paper products, whose management company is VGP JSC (Lutsk), produced products worth UAH 1 billion 434.6 million, up 6.6% compared to the same period in 2023.
According to Ukrpapir’s statistics provided to Interfax-Ukraine, the company has thus maintained a positive production trend over the past 10 months compared to the same period last year, which it reached in the first nine months of the year.
In physical terms, the company’s production of toilet paper in rolls, which slightly decreased, amounted to 110.73 million units, which remains the third best result in the industry after Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill (224.5 million units) and Kokhava Paper Mill (113.4 million units).
The company produces pulp-based sanitary and hygiene products from imported base paper.
VGP’s portfolio includes dry and wet wipes, toilet paper, paper handkerchiefs, and kitchen towels. The assortment includes more than 180 items.
As reported, in 2023, VGP JSC produced products worth UAH 1 billion 611 million, which is 64.8% more than in 2022.
Bloomi LLC (Odesa), a manufacturer of sanitary and hygienic paper products under the Snow Panda brand, produced products worth UAH 330.3 million in January-October, up 10.3% compared to the same period in 2023.
According to statistics provided by UkrPapir Association to Interfax-Ukraine, in physical terms, in particular, the production of toilet paper increased by 14.2% to 42.1 million rolls.
As reported, over the past 10 months, Ukraine’s major sanitary paper producers produced a total of 533.34 million rolls of paper, up 6.3% year-on-year.
Bloomi, which was registered in 2014, produces pulp-based sanitary products (toilet paper, napkins, towels) from imported base paper. The products are manufactured at the facilities of Omega Brokers PE, one of the leading Ukrainian manufacturers of detergents, disinfectants and sanitary products.
In 2023, the company almost doubled its production volume by 2022 to UAH 367.3 million.
The company is co-owned equally (25% each) by four Odesa-based entrepreneurs.
In January-October 2024, Kokhavyno Paper Mill (KPM, Lviv region), which produces sanitary paper products, increased its production by 78.3% year-on-year to UAH 1 billion 711.5 million, according to statistics from UkrPapir Association.
As reported, in the first nine months of the year, the mill’s production growth was 75.1% compared to the same period in 2023, and in the first eight months it was 67%.
According to the association’s statistics provided to Interfax-Ukraine, in physical terms, the production of the base paper for sanitary products at the factory increased by 39.5% to 48.2 thousand tons during this period.
The output of toilet paper in rolls amounted to 113.5 million units, having increased slightly in January-October 2023. KPF confidently ranks second in terms of its output after Kyiv CPP.
As reported, in October last year, Kokhava Pulp and Paper Mill put into operation a paper machine for the production of cellulose base paper (previously, it produced only waste paper). To organize such production in 2021, the mill attracted a EUR 13.8 million loan from the EBRD.
Kokhava Pulp and Paper Mill, which has been operating since 1939, produces base paper for sanitary and hygiene products, as well as toilet paper and paper towels. Before the new machine was put into operation, the mill had two paper machines with a total capacity of 40 thousand tons of base paper per year.
In 2023, the factory increased its production by 18% compared to 2022, to UAH 1 billion 151.2 million, and its net profit increased 2.7 times to UAH 137 million.
Plastic production in Europe in 2023 decreased by 8.3%, according to the industry organization Plastics Europe. According to its managing director, Virginia Janssens, the decline was stronger than expected.
At the same time, global plastic production grew by 3.4%, in particular due to the scale-up of production in China and the United States. According to S&P Global, China accounted for 60% of the growth in petrochemical capacity last year.
The share of European suppliers in the global market will decline to 12% in 2023 from 28% in 2006. In addition, due to declining demand, the volume of mechanical plastic recycling in Europe last year fell for the first time since 2018, Plastics Europe noted. This is the most common recycling method in the region.
In October, the industry organization Plastics Recyclers Europe pointed out the alarming nature of the downward trend in the European plastic recycling market, which is why many companies are leaving it. Among other things, the market is under pressure from an oversupply of virgin plastic outside Europe.
Businesses are also dissatisfied with European legislation aimed at achieving ambitious climate goals. According to the companies, it is “stifling growth,” the FT writes. American ExxonMobil (SPB: XOM) and Saudi Arabia’s SABIC this year announced their intention to close petrochemical plants in Europe. LyondellBasell, Versalis, and Trinseo are also going to close their sites or revise their plans for them.
In January-September 2024, Kokhavyno Paper Mill (KBF, Lviv region), which produces sanitary paper products, increased its production by 75.1% compared to the same period in 2023, to UAH 1 billion 502 million, according to statistics from UkrPapir Association.
As reported, in the first eight months of the year, the mill’s production growth was 67.4% compared to the same period in 2023, and in the first seven months it was 61%.
According to the association’s statistics provided to Interfax-Ukraine, in physical terms, the production of the base paper for sanitary products at the factory increased by 39.6% to 43.2 thousand tons over the nine months.
The output of toilet paper in rolls increased by 1.5% to 102.5 million units. KPF is confidently ranked second in terms of its output after Kyiv CPP.
As reported, in October last year, Kokhava Pulp and Paper Mill put into operation a paper machine for the production of cellulose base paper (previously, it produced only waste paper-based products). To organize such production in 2021, the company attracted a EUR 13.8 million loan from the EBRD.
In October of this year, according to the company, the line of cellulose sanitary products was expanded with four-layer toilet paper “Gold” with lamination and perforation of the roll.
Kokhavynsk Pulp and Paper Mill, which has been operating since 1939, produces the base paper for sanitary and hygiene products, as well as toilet paper and paper towels. Before the new machine was put into operation, the mill had two paper machines with a total capacity of 40 thousand tons of base paper per year.
In 2023, the mill increased its production by 18% compared to 2022 to UAH 1 billion 151.2 million, while net profit increased 2.7 times to UAH 137 million.
Source: https://rebuild.news/
Rivne Azot, a part of Group DF’s nitrogen business, has resumed operations and reached 100% capacity at its basic fertilizer production shops, the company’s press service reports.
“The forced shutdown of the basic shops a month ago was caused by damage to the energy infrastructure in the region during the shelling. During the plant shutdown, we carried out maintenance and reconstruction of a number of production systems, including the power supply system at the enterprise. This will help reduce production risks and ensure stable operation of the plant’s basic shops during the season. We have successfully completed the commissioning of key units and launched the plant at full capacity to meet the growing seasonal demand for mineral fertilizers from farmers,” said Mykhailo Zabluda, Chairman of the Board of Rivne Azot.
According to the report, the plant has launched an ammonia shop (A-2), a nonconcentrated nitric acid shop and an ammonium nitrate shop. The capacity of the loaded ammonia line is 650 tons of ammonia per day and that of the non-concentrated nitric acid line is 1,000 tons of nitric acid per day. The ammonium nitrate shop will operate at the maximum capacity of the ammonia line, i.e. at least 40 thousand tons of nitrate per month.
Currently, the plant is focused on supplying fertilizers to the domestic market of Ukraine. The products are shipped to customers across the country under contracts.
As reported earlier, Group DF’s capital investments in Ostchem’s nitrogen business in 2024 will amount to about EUR86 million. The purpose of the CAPEX investment is to optimize cost coefficients, reduce losses of various types of energy and improve the cost of finished products.
On April 12, Group DF and Hyundai ENGINEERING CO signed an agreement to build a chemical hub in Rivne. The project envisages the construction of green ammonia and hydrogen plants based on renewable energy sources; new enterprises and production sites for nitrogen fertilizers and chemical derivatives.
Ostchem has launched a 300,000-tonne-per-year production facility for UAN at Rivne Azot. The project is primarily aimed at farmers in the western regions of Ukraine.
Ostchem is a nitrogen holding of Dmitry Firtash’s Group DF, which unites the largest mineral fertilizer producers in Ukraine. Since 2011, it has included Rivne Azot and Cherkasy Azot, as well as Sievierodonetsk Azot and Stirol, which are out of operation and located in the occupied territories.
Cherkasy Azot PJSC (Cherkasy, Ukraine) is one of the largest Ukrainian chemical enterprises. The design production capacity is 962.7 thousand tons per year of ammonia, 970 thousand tons per year of ammonium nitrate, 891.6 thousand tons of urea, and 1 million tons per year of UAN.
Rivne Azot is one of the largest Ukrainian chemical companies in Western Ukraine. On April 12, 2024, Group DF and South Korean Hyundai Engineering signed an agreement to build a chemical hub in Rivne. The project envisages the construction of green ammonia and hydrogen plants based on renewable energy sources; new enterprises and production sites for nitrogen fertilizers and chemical derivatives.
