OREANDA-NEWS. Metinvest Group, in cooperation with the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme and local communities, completed two energy-saving projects in the towns of Vuhlehirsk and Yunokomunarivsk. The projects were the first for the UNDP programme Community Based Approach to Local Development in small towns in Donetsk oblast. Metinvest Group’s Yenakiieve Steel contributed a total of UAH 100,000 to the projects.

The second phase of UNDP’s local development programme was launched in 2011. Both towns, Vuhlehirsk and Yunokomunarivsk (both under the jurisdiction of the Yenakiieve City Council), submitted applications to participate. Those applications were evaluated based on the results of a questionnaire of residents.

It marked the first time small towns were involved in the project, as European grants have typically focused on rural areas, according to Lyudmila Shinkarenko, coordinator of the Community Based Approach to Local Development (Phase 2) project in Donetsk oblast.

“Having analysed the applications and conditions in these towns, the Programme Committee recognized the necessity of these projects in Vuhlehirsk and Yunokomunarivsk,” said Shinkarenko. “However, the key factor in deciding to go ahead with these pilot projects was the support of Metinvest, which had become one of the programme’s partners.”

As a result of the project, Vuhlehirsk School No. 42’s worn out boiler equipment was replaced with new energy-efficient boilers for a total cost of UAH 309,000 and Yunokomunarivsk Kindergarten No. 51 was renovated for a total cost of UAH 220,000.

“Metinvest is always interested in projects to improve the life of people in towns where the company operates,” said Alexander Podkorytov, General Director of PJSC Yenakiieve Steel. “It was particularly important that four parties were involved in these projects – the local government, business, the community and international organisations.”