Gazotron-Lux, a plant for production of Lummax energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps, was opened on Friday in Rivne in the presence of the Ukrainian Prime Minister and other high-ranked officials. The investment project was implemented by Astron Ukraine Corporation through collaboration with the Nadra bank, which provided a €10 million loan for purchase of a process line, using funds of Germany-based AKA Ausfuhrkredit-Gesellschaft m.b.H. The loan maturity exceeds seven years.
The up-to-date automated line, supplied by High-Lux-Lichttechnik GmbH & Co. Vertriebs KG, was mounted at the facilities of Gazotron, an electronics enterprise, helping to save 88 jobs and create 30 new ones. Recruitment of employees with a university background is planned, as well as personnel training and retraining. The plant’s annual rated capacity is 6 million Lummax lamps for household and special applications.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov called Gazotron-Lux a “unique production.” The enterprise is the first maker of energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps not only in Ukraine but also in CIS. (In Russia, energy-saving lamps are assembled out of Chinese components.) Gazotron-Lux had actually developed an integrated works for the production of lamps to European quality standards. The collaboration with the German line supplier will also include joint R & D efforts, as well as training of the Ukrainian staff by German specialists.
According to project manager Valeriy Polishchuk, Lummax lamps consume five times less power than ordinary bulbs, and are rated for 10,000 hours of operation.
The project turned out to be in line with the energy-conservation course, declared by the President Viktor Yushchenko, and the governmental strategy aimed at strengthening the energy safety of Ukraine. “The issue of effective use of energy resources in our country is issue number one,” Yekhanurov said.
The Astron-Ukraine Corporation presents itself on its web site as an “association representing an investment-production holding.” The company operates in power engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, mining, construction, and other industries.
The Nadra bank is one of Ukraine’s top ten banks, according to its web site: number six in deposits of individuals and number eight in net assets, loan and investment portfolio, and capital.
