Kuyalnik Salt Works LLC plans to invest over $20 million in a project to extract excess salt from the Kuyalnik Estuary and process it into table salt, according to the publication SEEDS.
The Odesa Regional Military Administration and the company signed a memorandum of cooperation on the implementation of investment and environmental projects in the Kuyalnik Estuary area. The Odesa Regional Military Administration officially confirmed the investor’s intention to invest over $20 million in the project.
According to SEEDS, Kuyalnik Salt Works LLC was established in 2026. The company plans to extract excess salt from the estuary and process it into food products. The estimated production capacity is approximately 300,000 metric tons of salt per year.
This volume accounts for about three-quarters of Ukraine’s salt imports in 2025. According to the State Customs Service, last year Ukraine imported about 415,000 metric tons of salt worth $49.6 million.
Thus, the implementation of this project could significantly reduce Ukraine’s dependence on imported table salt, and once production reaches full capacity, it could lay the groundwork for resuming salt exports.
The need to develop new salt sources increased sharply after the Artemsil plant in Soledar shut down in 2022. Prior to the full-scale invasion, Ukraine was a major producer and exporter of salt; however, after losing access to its key production facilities, it became heavily dependent on supplies from abroad.
The project on the Kuyalnik Estuary also has an environmental component. According to the Odesa Regional State Administration, the memorandum provides for the development of environmental protection infrastructure, the implementation of modern environmental solutions, and the execution of “green” projects. The issue of utilizing the estuary’s salt resources has been under consideration for over a year, with the participation of the Cabinet of Ministers, scientists, and relevant experts.
Before commencing industrial extraction, the company must still complete the procedures required by law, including an environmental impact assessment and obtaining the necessary permits for the use of natural resources. The Kuyalnik Estuary has special environmental protection and resort status.
Original source of the article: SEEDS – “Investor Plans to Invest Over $20 Million in Processing Salt from the Kuyalnik Estuary for Food Use”.
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INVESTMENT, Kuyalnik Estuary, ODESA REGION, PROCESSING, SALT
Hong Kong remains the least affordable metropolis for homebuyers among the cities surveyed by UBS: a skilled service sector worker needs about 15 years’ worth of annual income to purchase a 60-square-meter apartment near the city center.
These figures are contained in the UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index 2026, published on September 22.
More than ten years’ income is also required to purchase a similar apartment in Tokyo, Paris, London, and Seoul.
UBS also notes a high burden on buyers’ incomes in Singapore, Lisbon, Zurich, Geneva, São Paulo, Munich, Sydney, Milan, and New York.
At the other end of the ranking are Miami and Dubai. A 60-square-meter apartment there costs roughly five times the annual income of a skilled worker.
However, a relatively lower ratio of real estate prices to wages does not necessarily mean affordable housing. In the U.S. and Canada, affordability is further limited by high mortgage rates, bank requirements, and other costs of homeownership.
According to UBS’s calculations, compared to 2021, the average skilled worker in the cities surveyed can now afford about one-third less living space on their income.
Separately, UBS compared real estate prices to rent. The highest ratio was recorded in Zurich: the cost of an apartment is equivalent to approximately 46 years of rent. In Geneva, the ratio is about 40 years, while in Munich, Frankfurt, and Hong Kong, it exceeds 30 years.
A high ratio of purchase price to rent may indicate that investors are anticipating further significant price increases. If such expectations wane, the risk of property value losses increases, notes UBS.
Kyiv was not included in this study.
The Turkish company ASTOR Enerji A.Ş., which specializes in electrical equipment manufacturing, plans to implement a project worth up to $200 million in the Kyiv region, which will involve the production of energy storage systems and transformers, according to the Kyiv Regional Development Agency.
“The company is considering investing up to $200 million in the creation of a modern manufacturing complex in the Kyiv region. The project involves the production of energy storage systems, battery solutions, electrical equipment, and transformers,” the agency stated in a post on LinkedIn on Tuesday.
It notes that a corresponding memorandum with ASTOR Enerji A.Ş. was signed by the Kyiv Regional Military Administration with the agency’s support during the Carpathian Eight Summit.
The agency notes that for the Kyiv region, the implementation of such a project will mean the creation of new production capacity and jobs, further industrial development, the introduction of advanced technologies, and enhanced energy resilience.
It explained that it will continue to support the project through the next stages: from selecting potential investment sites and engaging with local communities to coordinating further steps with the investor.
Zurich and Tokyo were the only two of the world’s 23 largest cities that UBS classified in 2026 as having a high risk of a housing real estate bubble.
According to the UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index 2026, published on September 22, Zurich’s index stood at 1.69 and Tokyo’s at 1.54. UBS considers an index above 1.5 to indicate high risk.
The “elevated risk” category included Miami with an index of 1.41, Dubai at 1.16, Seoul at 1.13, Geneva at 1.12, and Lisbon at 1.04.
Moderate risk was recorded in Amsterdam at 0.95, Madrid at 0.86, Los Angeles at 0.69, Sydney (0.68), Frankfurt (0.64), Toronto (0.63), Vancouver (0.62), Munich and Hong Kong (both 0.61), Singapore (0.54), and Milan (0.50).
UBS classified Paris (0.33), London (0.32), New York (0.28), San Francisco (-0.02), and São Paulo (-0.24) as low-risk markets.
In Zurich, real housing prices have risen by nearly 140% over the past 20 years, while rental rates have increased by approximately 40% and household incomes by 30%. The ratio of purchase price to rental cost has reached 46 years—the highest figure among all cities studied by UBS.
In Tokyo, inflation-adjusted housing prices are now about 50% higher than they were seven years ago. Over the past year, they have risen by another 6% or so.
UBS notes that, on average, real housing prices in all surveyed cities rose by only 0.5% over the past year; however, a significant gap has emerged between individual markets.
The bank emphasizes that a high index reading does not predict an inevitable crash. A correction could occur due to changes in interest rates, investor sentiment, or a significant increase in housing supply.
The Inzhur Investment Group, which includes an asset management company with three investment funds, an investment firm, a securities broker, and a securities custodian, plans to increase its assets under management from the current 9.36 million UAH to 100 billion UAH over the next five years, said the group’s founder and head, Andriy Zhurzhii.
“100 billion is our dream and our plan. That’s for the next five years. In other words, we’ll end this year with more than 10 billion—10 to 11 billion in assets under management. And over the next five years, we’ll reach 100 billion based on today’s figures. In other words, if there are any devaluation processes, then, of course, we’ll get there faster,” he said during the “Forbes Business Breakfast with Fedorin” on Wednesday, adding that there was a day when the group managed to attract 500 million UAH at once.
According to him, the group has attracted 131,560 investors to its funds, with a minimum investment of 11 UAH.
“We’ve set ourselves the goal of reaching 1 million investors in ‘Inzhur’ by the end of 2028. We plan to end this year with 150,000–200,000 investors: we’re already on track for 170,000, and we’ll have to work hard to reach 200,000, but the team is doing its best,” noted Zhurzhii.
In his view, to increase the number of investors to 2–3 million, it is necessary to invest more in the community and in its education and experience; therefore, the group launched an educational program with Prometheus, which attracted 14,000 registrants in just one week.
The head of “Injur” also expressed the opinion that the Ukrainian market is not yet ready for stocks.
“We will still grow through some form of debt instruments—bonds or quasi-debt instruments, when we’re talking about funds. Stocks will be the next stage,” Zhurzhii believes.
asset, FUND, Injur, INVESTMENT, INVESTOR
Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC Group) intends to acquire 100% of the shares in the Ukrainian cement producer PJSC “Ivano-Frankivskcement” (“IFCEM”), the company’s press office reported.
“The partnership will combine IFTSEM’s leading position in the Ukrainian market, its modern production facilities, long-standing industrial traditions, and strong team with TCC’s global experience, technologies, and investment capabilities. It lays the foundation for the group’s further development and its active participation in Ukraine’s large-scale recovery and the deepening of economic integration with Europe,” according to a statement on the “Ivano-Frankivskcement” website.
The relevant agreement will be concluded between the majority shareholder of PrJSC “Ivano-Frankivskcement,” CemInWest S.A. (Switzerland), together with the owners of the affiliated companies Ivano-Frankivskdakh LLC, Krugips LLC, Krumix LLC, and TCC Group EMEA Holdings B.V. (Netherlands)—a subsidiary of TCC Group Holdings Co., Ltd.
It is noted that the completion of the transaction is subject to obtaining the necessary antitrust approvals and other regulatory clearances in the relevant jurisdictions, as well as the fulfillment of standard closing conditions.
According to Mykola Kruts, Chairman of the Management Board and member of the Supervisory Board of “Ivano-Frankivskcement,” he will remain a member of the company’s board of directors in the coming years.
“Today, the company is entering a new phase of its development. The partnership with a global strategic investor from Taiwan opens up new opportunities for IFCEM in terms of investment, technological development, and further strengthening of its position. In the coming years, I will remain a member of the board of directors to ensure continuity, stability, and the company’s further development,” the company quotes Krut as saying in its statement.
The preliminary value of the deal is approximately 750 million euros, according to “Forbes Ukraine,” citing Focus Taiwan.
PJSC “Ivano-Frankivskcement” manufactures cement, roofing materials, concrete and reinforced concrete products, and dry construction mixes. Its production capacity stands at 4.3 million metric tons of cement per year. Approximately 2,500 people are employed at the group’s facilities.
Before the start of the full-scale war, NEQSOL Holding was close to acquiring “Ivano-Frankivskcement,” but subsequently withdrew from the deal.
According to data from the YouControl analytical system, in 2025, Ivano-Frankivskcement increased its net profit by a factor of 1.4 compared to the previous year, to 4.2 billion UAH, and its net revenue by 20.3%, to 16.2 billion UAH. In the first half of 2026, net profit decreased by a quarter compared to the same period in 2025, to 1.4 billion UAH, while net revenue fell by 4.2%, to 7.1 billion UAH. The company’s total assets amounted to 14.9 billion UAH.
TCC Group Holdings Co., Ltd. is a global industrial group based in Taiwan and one of the world’s largest cement producers. The group operates more than 40 production sites, with a combined cement production capacity exceeding 112 million metric tons per year, and employs 13,800 people. TCC is also developing initiatives in green energy, energy storage systems, and advanced materials. TCC has a significant presence in Europe and Africa, particularly in Portugal, Turkey, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, and Italy.
AGREEMENT, CEMENT, INVESTMENT, IVANO-FRANKIVSKCEMENT, TCC Group
