State-owned enterprise Artyomsol (Donetsk region) produced over 1.48 million tonnes of salt in January-September, which is 2.6% more than a year ago.
According to the report on the website of the state-owned enterprise, from the beginning of the year, Artyomsol produced 338,500 tonnes of bulk milled salt, which is 20.7% higher than in January-September 2018.
The output of salt packaged in flexible containers increased 13%, to 49,300 tonnes, salt blocks – by 15%, to 2,300 tonnes.
At the same time, according to the information of the SOE for the first nine months of this year, the production of packaged salt decreased by 8.9%, to 134,700 tonnes. Production of salt packed in bags was less than 4.9%, salt briquettes – 18.7% compared with the same period a year earlier. In addition, iodized salt production was 13.1% less (only 41,700 tonnes).
The state-owned enterprise said that 763,100 tonnes of salt were shipped to foreign consumers in January-September 2019, which is 8% more compared to the same period in 2018.
Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania remain the main importers of Artyomsol products.
“The results of the enterprise’s work were significantly affected by the steadily increasing cost of transportation of goods by rail by Ukrzaliznytsia. This factor reduces the competitiveness of salt of the Ukrainian producer,” the company said.
Artyomsol is the largest enterprise for extraction and sale of sodium chloride (NaCl) in Central and Eastern Europe. Its production facilities are located in Soledar (Donetsk region). The company exports products to 15 countries.
The State Automobile Roads Agency of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) plans in 2019 to purchase nearly 200,000 tonnes of salt in 2019 for preparing the roads for winter, Ukravtodor acting head of Slawomir Nowak said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“We are preparing [for winter], held first conferences over this issue. Purchase of salt volumes is under control, 41,000 tonnes have already been stored up. In general, we plan to purchase about 200,000 tonnes of salt this year. It would be enough to sustain winter facing no problems,” he said.
Novak noted that this week a meeting between Ukravtodor and the state-owned enterprise Artyomsol (Donetsk region) is to take place, during which it is planned to “settle a number of problematic issues.”
In addition, the head of the agency said that Ukravtodor has already prepared more than 2,700 of machinery items and devices for winter.
“For temporary parking of vehicles during bad weather we plan to use more than 800 sites right of way, near and at road service facilities. In addition, more than 7,000 linear meters of passive means of cleaning snow will be installed on public roads of national importance,” he said.
According to Nowak, by November 1, 2019 Ukravtodor plans to complete the full range of measures to prepare the road facilities for the autumn-winter period 2019-2020.
Artyomsol is the largest enterprise for production and sale of table salt (NaCl) in Central and Eastern Europe. Its production facilities are located in Soledar (Donetsk region).
The state salt producing enterprise Artyomsol (Artyomsalt) in 2018 produced, processed and shipped 2.1 million tonnes of salt to consumers, which is 22.4% more than in 2017. According to a press release, production of packaged salt was 197,800 tonnes, which is 1.7% more than in 2017, ground salt, shipped in bulk without additives, some 469,300 tonnes (43.9%), ground salt, shipped in bulk with an anti-caking additive, some 1.018 million tonnes (27%), and unpacked ground salt some 66,900 tonnes (35.4%).
Artyomsol also increased the production of salt, packaged in bulk bags. This type of product amounted to 82,100 tonnes, which is 17% more than in 2017. Production of iodized salt increased to 62,800 tonnes (7.7% more than in 2017).
The company exported 952,200 tonnes of salt in the 12 months of last year, which is more than 45% of the total volume of products shipped. For comparison, in 2017 the export volume amounted to 761,400 tonnes of salt.
Artyomsol in 2018 shipped salt to Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, and other countries.