Auction of the year: “Energostal in Kharkiv went under the hammer for UAH 600 million
12 August 2025 16:38
PHOTO
Kharkiv-based Energostal was sold 57 times more expensive than the starting price. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with link to the lot page in the electronic catalog on the Prozorro platform.
on August 12, the State Property Fund of Ukraine held an auction for the privatization of the Ukrainian Scientific and Technical Center of the metallurgical industry Energostal. The auction was one of the most high-profile of the year: the starting price of the lot of UAH 10.47 million increased more than 57 times during the competition between seven bidders.
In the end, the winner was Kharkiv-based Sanders Loft LLC, which offered UAH 600 million. Another Kharkiv-based company, DAS 2015, made a similar bid, but its bid was received a few minutes later, so Sanders Loft was officially recognized as the winner.
Together with VAT, the winner will have to pay UAH 720 million to the state budget, making this deal one of the largest in the current privatization campaign.
It should be noted that Sanders Loft specializes in the wholesale trade of pharmaceuticals, organization of exhibitions and leasing of real estate. The company already has experience in participating in large-scale privatization auctions: last year it was the second in the auction for the sale of the building of the State Institute of Labor and Socio-Economic Research in Kharkiv, known as the “House with a thermometer”. Back then, Gamma-55, owned by Anush and Nune Danielyan and operating the 911 pharmacy chain, won by a slim margin of just 54 UAH.
The significance of the deal for the region
Analysts note that the sale of Energostal could be an impetus for the development of the central part of Kharkiv. Due to the favorable location of the main facilities and their large area, the new owner can implement large-scale commercial or industrial projects. However, the question remains whether the company’s profile will remain the same or whether the facilities will be repurposed for other activities.
What is included in the Energostal complex?
The unified property complex includes 68 real estate and infrastructure facilities with a total area of more than 50 thousand square meters, as well as 379 movable property items. Among the most valuable assets are the main building with an area of 18,894.6 sq m in the center of Kharkiv near the Naukova metro station and a building at 20 Darvin Street with an area of 21,050.6 sq m. The property also includes an administrative building and a workshop in Dergachi, Kharkiv region, with an area of 9,079.5 sq m.
Financial position of the company
Despite the significant amount of property, Energostal has considerable financial liabilities. The company’s accounts payable amount to almost UAH 88 million, of which about UAH 36 million are wage arrears and almost UAH 21 million are debts to the budget.
How the history of Energostal began
Energostal, the Ukrainian Scientific and Technical Center for the Metallurgical Industry, was established in the Soviet era as one of the leading research and design institutes specializing in energy systems and technologies for metallurgy. The company was engaged in the development and implementation of industrial equipment, dust and gas cleaning systems, heat exchange, and environmental technologies. Until the 2010s, Energostal had stable orders from large steel mills in Ukraine and the CIS, but with the decline in production in the industry and reduced investment, the company gradually lost its business.
“Big privatization” in Ukraine: context
The privatization of Energostal was part of the State Property Fund’s large-scale strategy to sell non-core and unprofitable state assets to attract investment and reduce financial pressure on the budget. According to Ivanna Smachylo, acting head of the SPFU, the sale of enterprises with high development potential to private owners allows for faster modernization and job creation. The current wave of privatization, launched in 2022, has already brought billions of hryvnias to the budget, and record-breaking auctions, such as the one for Energostal, confirm the growing interest of businesses even in difficult economic conditions.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
