Three energy-modernized preschools in Rivne for a total of 410 children have started operating, the project was funded by the European Union under a EUR1.56 million grant, the press service of the project manager, the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), reports.
The energy modernization was carried out for the buildings of the Rivne Special Child Educational and Rehabilitation Center, the Pahinets Center compensatory kindergarten and the 35th kindergarten, which are attended by a total of about 410 children, including IDPs and children with special needs.
“The European Union is pleased with the successful completion of the energy efficiency modernization project in Rivne, which has significantly improved the learning environment for local children, including IDPs and children with disabilities. This initiative reaffirms our unwavering commitment to helping vulnerable people in Ukraine, especially in these difficult times of war. The EU continues to support projects that strengthen the resilience and well-being of communities across Ukraine,” commented Josep Cornet, Head of the Reconstruction, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment Unit at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
According to Viktor Shakirzyan, Secretary of Rivne City Council and Acting Mayor, these buildings had low energy efficiency and were in need of overhaul for a long time.
“Thanks to the modernization measures, we will be able to reduce costs from the community budget by reducing heat, electricity and water consumption. The work performed will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is part of our commitment to the NetZeroCities initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2030,” he said.
The project “Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Municipal Infrastructure in Rivne to Support the Urgent Needs of Internally Displaced Persons” was successfully implemented with the financial support of the European Union and implemented by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) under the NIP “EU Support for Urgent Housing Needs” program.
In total, the partnership between Rivne community and NEFCO has been going on for nine years, and four projects worth EUR 3 million 760 thousand have already been implemented. In particular, comprehensive thermal modernization of schools #26, #18 and #27, as well as kindergartens #14, #33 and #46, has been carried out to support the city’s transition to energy-efficient public buildings. Other measures implemented in educational institutions include the installation of eight new individual heating stations, replacement of kitchen equipment in 11 buildings, replacement of water tap nozzles in 13 buildings, and replacement of lighting fixtures with new LED lamps in 31 buildings.
NEFCO has also provided grant funding for the implementation of the project “Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings and Street Lighting in Rivne” under the Norway-Ukraine Energy Efficiency Initiative program. The grant funds will be used to insulate the facades of buildings, replace windows and entrance doors, and insulate roofs in pre-schools #7 and #57. Street lighting will also be modernized, including the replacement of lamps with energy-efficient ones, on the main and secondary streets of Rivne. The grant funds will also be used to install solar photovoltaic power plants on the roofs of three buildings of the Central City Hospital of the Rivne City Council, which need uninterrupted electricity supply.
Head of Rivne Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Koval signed on Wednesday a decree banning civilians from visiting forest areas in the region for the duration of martial law. “From now on, it is forbidden to visit the forest in Rivne region! The corresponding decree was signed yesterday. It is valid for the period of the war. The exception is the Armed Forces of Ukraine, security forces, representatives of executive authorities, local self-government and those working with the forest,” Koval wrote in Telegram on Thursday.
He urged to treat such restrictions with understanding. “Your safety is the most important!” Koval said.
The volume of construction work performed in Ukraine in July 2021 increased 0.5% compared to the same period in 2020.
According to the State Statistics Service, in January-July 2021 compared to January-July 2020, the index of construction products amounted to 100%. The volume of construction work completed amounted to UAH 76.8 billion.
According to the statistics authority, in July 2021 the seasonally adjusted index of construction products amounted to 92.6% compared to the previous month.
The State Statistics Service reported that in July 2021 compared to July 2020, an increase in the volume of construction work was observed in residential construction by 40.2%, nonresidential – by 1.1%, while in engineering it fell by 9%.
The share of new construction of the total volume of completed construction work was 35.6%, the share of repair was 36.5%, and reconstruction and technical re-equipment was 27.9%.
An increase in the volume of construction work in January-July 2021 compared to January-July 2020 was recorded in Ternopil (by 54.8%, to UAH 1.8 billion), Rivne (by 23.9%, to UAH 1.6 billion), Volyn (by 10.8%, to UAH 1.2 billion), Cherkasy ( by 18.8%, to UAH 1.3 billion), Ivano-Frankivsk (by 14.8%, to UAH 1.8 billion), Khmelnytsky (by 13%, to UAH 2.7 billion), Odesa (by 5.8%, to UAH 11.9 billion), Donetsk (by 6.5%, to UAH 4.1 billion), Kharkiv (by 9.4%, to UAH 9 billion), Kyiv (by 8%, to UAH 7 billion UAH) regions and Kyiv city (by 0.3%, to UAH 22.3 billion).
In other regions, there was a decrease in construction volumes. The most significant drop was seen in Chernivtsi (by 30.6%) and Kirovohrad (by 33.2%) regions.
Krakovets-Lviv-Brody-Rivne and Stryi-Mukachevo may become the first toll roads in Ukraine, but the decision on expediency will be made upon completion of the feasibility study of these projects, Deputy Infrastructure Minister for European Integration Hanna Yurchenko told reporters on Wednesday.
According to her, today there are not so many directions in Ukraine where there can be a toll road, which would be a payback project, due to the level of traffic. This is exclusively about the construction of new concession roads, which will duplicate the existing free routes.
To date, Ukravtodor has received two private initiatives to prepare two new concession projects. Classics of the genre, when it is a road in an open field. It will most likely be paid. The first is the Krakovets-Lviv-Brody-Rivne route (the initiator is Avtomagistral-Yug) – more than 200 km of completely new construction, the alternative road to Kyiv-Chop and M-10 Lviv-Krakovets,” Yurchenko said.
According to her, the second private initiative is the Stryi-Mukachevo road (initiated by Onur). “Today, in principle, it is not a problem to get from Lviv to Zakarpattia region, but because of the passes and buildings on the existing direction, it is technically impossible to expand the road to four lanes. Therefore, the option of building a new road, which will pass slightly east of the existing Kyiv-Chop road, is being considered. If now we usually get from Lviv to Zakarpattia region in 2.5 hours, and even longer in winter, then the new road should reduce travel time by 60%,” Yurchenko said.
The deputy minister added that according to the ministry’s estimates, the feasibility study for Krakovets-Lviv-Brody-Rivne will be completed by the new year, the feasibility study for Stryi-Mukachevo a little later. The decision on the feasibility of each project will be made by Ukravtodor, and then coordinated with the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance.
“They can hypothetically be paid, but this will be confirmed after the feasibility study. Then we will be sure whether it is worth charging a fee, whether it will be generated at all, be self-sufficient,” Yurchenko said.
The Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine included Rivne industrial park (Rivne region) with an area of 125.13 hectares, initiated by the Rivne regional state administration, in the register of industrial parks on February 1, 2021.
According to the information on the ministry’s website on Friday, the planned term of operation of the park, located on the territory of Mala Liubasha rural council of Kostopil district, is 40 years. It is planned to create 1,750 jobs.
Priority types of economic activity in the industrial park will be: woodworking and furniture industry; production of construction and heat-insulating materials; mechanical engineering; recycling of secondary resources.
According to a posting on the website of the Rivne Regional State Administration, the industrial park has already won the Golden Site 2020 contest, implemented by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
The press service of the ministry said that today, 46 parks are already included in the register of industrial parks, including 23, which selected management companies, and eight, which involved participants (10 participants in total).
In addition, industrial parks, which are not included in the specified register, are being created and are functioning, including four parks created before the adoption of the law of Ukraine on industrial parks.
The epidemic situation in Volyn, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Odesa, Rivne, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernivtsi regions does not meet the criteria for easing lockdown, the Health Ministry said on its website on Tuesday.
The occupancy of beds, in particular, exceeds the permissible indicator of 53.31% in Lviv region. However, in Odesa and Sumy regions, the dynamics of the spread of the disease exceeds the established value of 10%.
The percentage of disease detection is higher than the established value of 11% in Volyn, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, Kharkiv and Chernivtsi regions.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine introduced adaptive lockdown until August 31, 2020, changed the principle of the distribution of regions to strengthen lockdown measures.
Depending on the epidemic situation in the region or individual administrative territorial units-districts, a “green,” “yellow,” “orange” or “red” level of epidemic danger of the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) disease is established.
CHERNIVTSI, EPIDEMIC SITUATION, IVANO-FRANKIVSK, KHARKIV, LVIV, ODESA, RIVNE, SUMY, VOLYN, ZHYTOMYR
