OREANDA-NEWS. February 16, 2010. Launching of two non-self-propelled river-sea barges for NIBULON will take place at OJSC “Wadan Yards Okean”, in Mykolayiv.

Investment project of NIBULON is the first project of system development of river transportation of agricultural products in the history of independent Ukraine that the company purposefully and confidently implements.

Construction of NIBULON’s fleet is just a part of this investment project, in the value of USD 150 mln. It includes two aspects - the construction of own river fleet and river (transshipment) terminals. The aim of the project is to revive navigation along Dnipro River – the main water way of Ukraine.

Within the framework of this project the new high-technology transshipment terminal in Chygyryn district of Cherkasy region was built and put into operation in record short time - only 2 months. At the same time two elevator complexes in Globyne town and Romodan village of Poltava region were built and are now successfully operated. In December 2009 in Kamyanka-Dniprovs’ka town (Zaporizhzhya region) there was a solemn ceremony of the beginning of construction of new transshipment terminal. Preparation for the beginning of construction of four more elevator complexes in Poltava region is being continued. Thus, till July the 1st, 2010 eight newly-built inland silos and transshipment terminals of NIBULON will start to be operated, four of them are transshipment terminals. Total grain storage capacity of the company will compile 2 million tons.

The second aspect – creation of own fleet - involves the construction of 24 non-self-propelled river-sea vessels of mixed navigation with deadweight 108 thousand tons; construction of 14 tugboats at OJSC “Wadan Yards Okean” (Mykolayiv city).

On the 6th of March, 2009 the beginning of cooperation of NIBULON and OJSC “Wadan Yards Okean” took place - contracts for construction of 16 non-self-propelled vessels were signed between enterprises.

Due to teamwork of two companies the first vessel was launched on the 11th of August, 2009. Later, on the 28th of August, the next three barges were launched, and on the 20th of October 2009 the other four barges were launched.

On the 3rd of December, 2009 four non-self-propelled river-sea barges were launched, on the 30th of December - another two. On the 3rd of December, the contracts for construction of 8 non-self-propelled barges for the company were signed. So till April 2010 NIBULON’s fleet will consist of 24 vessels.

One can only admire the professional team of OJSC “Wadan Yards Okean” that does not stop working on the implementation of shipbuilding order of NIBULON. Moreover a large part of the work is performed outdoors in adverse weather conditions. It demonstrates the reliability of such a partner as OJSC “Wadan Yards Okean” once again.

Works on creating a towing fleet of the company is being continued. The first three tugs (“Prybuzhanivskyy”, “Lidiyivskyy”, “Bashtanskyy”) have already become full members of the fleet family. Nowadays equipment for the construction of the next tugs is being purchased. And what is important – they will be built again at the yard OJSC “Wadan Yards Okean”.

Coherent cooperation of two reliable partners will be continued! NIBULON liked to cooperate with OJSC “Wadan Yards Okean”. Then in 2010 the company plans to start construction of a self-propelled fleet that will furrow the rivers of Ukraine and the Caspian Sea, supplying grain to the Middle East. The company set a goal to transfer Ukrainian grain flying the Ukrainian flag. This task will be implemented in 2010 in full-scale. The company will become an example to the whole world how to revive the shipbuilding and agrarian sector of Ukraine.