Recently, Per Aarsleff A/S was awarded two contracts in connection with improvement of the water supply and waste water handling for approx. 1 million inhabitants in the city of Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine.

Zaporizhzhia is situated 700 km south of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, and here approx. 3,000 people are employed with Zaporizhzhia Vodokanal which is responsible for water supply and waste water handling. Aarsleff has obtained two contracts in Zaporizhzhia, one for supply of drinking water and waste water pumps, the other for renovation of pipes, supply of other equipment and training of the local technicians and specialists.

The project should make it possible for the employees of Zaporizhzhia Vodokanal to carry out repair and maintenance works on the town supply lines, using the new equipment. This week a team of technicians from Ukraine visits Denmark to start the training. At first the team is visiting a number of Danish sites to study Aarsleff’s methods and equipment. According to Aarsleff’s Ukrainian coordinator, Vladimir Baizetinov, the actual hands-on training will start in Ukraine in the near future. Here, Aarsleff engineer Anders Kristensen is preparing the sites.

Aarsleff will supply the equipment for No-Dig pipe rehabilitation and has made up a training programme including all aspects, e.g. rehabilitation methods, horizontal directional drilling, TV inspection, etc. Mr. Baizetinov is looking forward to a successful outcome of the whole project programme and says that many other municipalities and water supply companies in Ukraine will be inspired by the project, as there is a considerable need for equipment, training and rehabilitation.

The Ukrainian team expresses enthusiasm for what they have seen so far at Aarsleff’s and subsidiary Wicotec’s sites around Denmark, and they look forward to returning to Ukraine to make a difference, i.e. to improve the efficiency in Zaporizhzhia Vodokanal.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided funds for the Zaporizhzhia projects, which have a total value of DKK 85 million. More than 20 Danish specialists and 60 employees from Vodokanal participate in the projects. Aarsleff’s cooperation with the Ukrainian Vodokanal companies has been ongoing for some years now:

“Vodokanal Zaporizhzhia has chosen Aarsleff as partner, among other things as a result of references from Kiev”, says Aarsleff engineer Niels Haulund. “The sewer rehabilitation and supply of equipment to Kiev amount to approx. DKK 90 million and were finalized at the turn of the year. It was realized as a result of Danish and Finnish environmental support.”