ODESA, UKRAINE - August 9, 2021: Loading grain into holds of sea cargo vessel through an automatic line in seaport from silos of grain storage. Bunkering of dry cargo ship with grain. (PHOTO: Adobe Stock/Elena)

Ukrainian agriculture company KSG Agro is to build an US$8 million construction and demolition waste recycling facility in the Kherson region, to help deal with the aftermath of Russian missile attacks.

KSG Agro, which specialises in agricultural enterprises, land management and crop growing, production and processing, says the new plant will sort and process building rubble and debris, from structures in the Kherson region that have been destroyed.  

As the world鈥檚 biggest exporter of sunflower seeds and a top ten producer of wheat, barley, maize and rapeseed, Ukraine鈥檚 export of grain dropped dramatically at the beginning of the war, as the result of attacks on Ukraine鈥檚 port infrastructure - in particular the Black Sea Port of Odesa and the Kherson Sea port, which have been key strategic battlegrounds due to their status as international shipping hubs.

While the new recycling plant will not be operational for at least two and half years, Sergiy Kasianov, Chairman of the Board of Directors at KSG Agro, said: 鈥淪uch a plant is very much needed in the region to free the Kherson lands from the debris caused by the destruction from enemy air attacks.鈥�

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KSG Agro is currently in talks with international investors to raise the $8 million needed to fund the facility, and has outlined the main funding items. 

These include $1.5 million for a sorting line workshop complete with the required technology to prepare the C&D waste for recycling, and $5.5 million for the processing and production of the recycled materials, such as paving slabs and pressed blocks.

Sergiy said: 鈥淭he project will be implemented in two stages. The first is a sorting line, which is needed because different materials will be processed - brick, concrete, metal, etc. At the first stage, the final product will be crushed stone, which can then be used in construction.

鈥淎t the second stage, the pressing method will produce pressed blocks, for example, such as aerated concrete mills for construction, or tiles that can be used in the reconstruction of destroyed facilities.鈥�