Sale of the Odessa port plant - a matter of solution

The previous governments of Ukraine did not dare take this step. HMO is too important an object of the national economy, and selling it to private hands means recognizing the total insolvency of the entire financial system. There are only a dozen such enterprises all over the world, their products are in demand and provide stable foreign exchange earnings. And now it is decided to sell the Odessa port plant. This will happen in the very near future, at the end of this month or at the beginning of the next.

Brief history of the plant

In 1975, with the participation of the American billionaire Hammer, the construction of the most modern chemical enterprise in the USSR began at that time. In many countries, such production is generally prohibited by law, because of their immense danger, so the quality of work and reliability of the equipment from the very beginning were presented requirements comparable only with space or nuclear technology regulations. In 1978, the first products were already shipped to consumers, it is ammonia, carbamide and some other kinds of chemical raw materials for fertilizer production, so necessary for agriculture throughout the world. During the operation, the plant has been modernized many times, and specialists of only the highest qualification work on it. Employees receive a decent salary, have a high level of social security. The problem is that in recent years the enterprise has become unprofitable.

What is meant by the plant

The plant is called priportovy because its work is impossible without the most powerful transport and logistics infrastructure. In addition to directly production facilities represented by two ammonia synthesis units (annual capacity of 450 thousand tons), it includes:

- Urea aggregates, two, each with a capacity of 330 thousand tons per year;

- transshipment complex with a capacity of 5 million tons of urea;

- a carbamide warehouse with a capacity of 46 thousand tons;

- transshipment ammonia complex with a capacity of up to 5 million tons;

- reloading complex for methanol - capacity 1 million tons;

- a methanol warehouse with a capacity of 48 thousand tons;

- reloading complex for liquid fertilizers - capacity of 0.5 million tons per year;

- a warehouse of liquid fertilizers with the capacity of 36 thousand tons.

And many other less significant objects.

These figures may seem boring, but they give some idea of the scale of production, the value of the Soviet "inheritance" and the amount of investment. Now the economy of Ukraine is not able to provide much more modest investment. Build a similar country in the near future will not be able to. If he can at all ever.

History of privatization

Privatization of the IPF has been started several times. The company of the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky "Nortime" was going to buy production in 2009, and even won the tender, offering five billion hryvnia, but the deal was canceled. Three years later, under Yanukovych, the State Property Fund returned to the issue, and three more rich people of Ukraine, except Kolomoisky, Firtash and Rotenberg claimed to the plant. In July 2014, after the Maidan, a list of 164 enterprises subject to privatization was drawn up, for a total of fifteen billion hryvnias, and Odessa Port Plant entered it. Now the sale has reached the final stage.

Dangers

In addition to the economic threats already illustrated by the sale of Kryvorizhstal, which was carried out, as you know, fairly "transparently" and led to massive layoffs and reductions, there is another environmental danger that can not but excite Odessa citizens and residents of nearby settlements. By car from the city center to the OPZ to go about 30 kilometers, on a straight line - closer, and to the village of Kotovsky is not far. The explosion at an ammonia wholesale base in the city of West (USA, Texas) showed all the destructive power of a possible catastrophe. There were 270 tons of saltpeter, and as a result of the incident there were fluctuations in soil with a magnitude of 2.1 points. So, in the OPF ammonia is stored in the amount of 120 thousand tons, that is 450 times more. And in the immediate vicinity of the port plant there is the Delta Wilmar-CIS enterprise for the production of palm oil, which is also dangerous and harmful.

The social dimension

The IPF traditionally financially supported socio-cultural facilities in the city of Yuzhny and the settlement of Novye Belyary (Kominternovsky District). The probability of such activities under the "new master" seems to the inhabitants of the adjacent settlements to be very illusive. In addition, we already know about the plans for a shorter working week with a corresponding decrease in salaries, which worries the plant's employees, and their four thousand. The same applies to the usual social packages and benefits, previously riveted the most qualified personnel to produce "golden handcuffs." It was thanks to this expert that a large-scale ecological disaster was avoided due to the interruption of electricity supply in 2013. Then for the first time for 35 years the production stopped, but the leakage of ammonia was prevented, - the workers of the service of the main power engineer in time launched reserve energy sources. And if they were not there? What will be the new personnel policy?

Applicants

The fact that the competition for the acquisition of IPF will not allow Russian companies, said Igor Bilous, who heads the State Property Fund. Argumentation is standard - there is nothing for the aggressor country to buy Ukrainian enterprises. Avakov, the Minister of the Interior, even approvingly commented on this maxim with a cue about Magadan, meaning it is unclear what. However, and its own oligarchs, as it was previously known, too, the IPF, it seems, "does not shine." As the same Bilous said, at the moment there are five aspirants, and they are all foreign. Dialogue, however, according to him, continues. The whole world sees how Ukraine is firm in its endeavors. That will announce the competition in late May or early June, and likely investors will be more. Do not let those who are seen offshore.

Price and problems

The subject of the contest will be a package of 99.567% of shares owned by the state, the rest of the "tail" in a little over four-tenths of a percent is in the possession of the plant's employees. The Cabinet of Ministers preliminarily assesses the basic ownership of the IPF in 13 billion 175 million hryvnia (UNIAN agency, May 18). At the same time, the threat of cancellation was hanging over the auction today, as the plant owed Ostchem, a company owned by the Ukrainian oligarch Firtash, $ 193 million plus a penalty for supplied natural gas. Actually, the main reason for the loss ratio (only 2011 ended with a profit) was the high cost of energy carriers, and how this problem will be managed by the new owner is not yet clear. However, Minister Avakov points out that Ostchem is also in debt, like in silks, this time to the state (how much he did not mention), so he will hardly be able to block the sale, although he really wants it.

Will it help?

From the list of enterprises whose privatization is prohibited due to their strategic importance to the national economy, it is obvious that in the near future 391 names will be excluded, the relevant bill has already been submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada. "Ukrspirt", "Artemsol", other important production, including the IPF, will be sold. The proceeds of the money, as declared, will be channeled to "the development of the country", and in other words - to patching the budget holes, which are becoming more and more. In principle, 13 billion hryvnia - is, according to the current exchange rate, approximately $ 520 million, of which 193 must be given to the same Firtash, plus a penalty, of course. How long will this money last? All the tranche of the IMF is postponed ...