«The main thing is that deputies should not become a tool in this game» — Sienkevych stressed that the tender for waste sorting in Mykolaiv is as transparent as possible

The mayor of Mykolaiv once again declared the openness and publicity of the city authorities, Photo: NikVesti

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, claims that the tender for the selection of a household waste sorting operator in Mykolaiv is as transparent as possible.

The mayor of Mykolaiv said this during a public meeting with members of the city council and the director of the company that won the tender for sorting, which took place on 20 August via video conference, NikVesti writes.

«I am not personally interested in competitors or any political trends. I am interested in making this process that is taking place today as transparent and clear as possible. When it is not fully understood, when it is not transparent and somehow gives rise to additional doubts, it always gives rise to rumours... My position was 5 years ago, when we started this process, and it remains the same now: we are dealing with this issue as transparently and publicly as possible, as clear as possible to everyone. We are holding all discussions, any questions, all this is being recorded on video now,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

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At the same time, the mayor of Mykolaiv commented on the considerable attention paid by various anonymous telegram channels to the issue of waste sorting in Mykolaiv.

«I am very interested that the issue of our competition has appeared on all-Ukrainian channels. At the last session, we discussed this, that some channels that only post news from other sites for free, and do everything else for money, are receiving very strong and close attention. As Olena Kiseliova noted, bloggers from Odesa have joined in with renewed vigour on the issue of our sorting line in Mykolaiv. As they say, if the stars are shining, someone needs it,» said the mayor of Mykolaiv.

Oleksandr Sienkevych expressed confidence that law enforcement officers are also studying the legality and conditions of the tender for waste sorting, which now has to be either approved or rejected by the deputies.

«And so, any questions about law enforcement agencies, NABU, SBU, and so on, which are being called to pay attention — I am sure that they are already working on this issue. That's why we are trying to do our best to facilitate their work,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

He also added that such an open process of discussing the waste sorting project in Mykolaiv will show all partners and potential investors that everything in the city is transparent.

«We want to show all our partners, future investors in Mykolaiv, that any processes in our city are transparent and clear. And today Mykolaiv is a flagship in the implementation of anti-corruption initiatives. That is why this meeting, this public discussion, is organised, and why we are doing everything to make it clear to everyone what is happening in the city, so that there are no questions. And the fact that someone has some kind of incomprehensible struggle for resources, money, sorting — you are welcome. The main thing is that the city council members do not become a tool in this game,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

Earlier it was reported that Vitalii Kim, the head of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, said that the tender to determine the company that will build the sorting line in Mykolaiv was poorly conducted and its results were unfavourable for the community.

As a reminder, on Thursday, 21 August, the Mykolaiv City Council building was searched in connection with the sorting line construction project. On 28 August, at the session of the Mykolaiv City Council, the deputies will either approve or reject the results of the tender. Two alternative draft decisions have been submitted for consideration. In fact, these investigative actions may block the vote to approve the results of the tender. On the same day, 28 August, the deadline for approving the results of the tender expires. Thus, the investment tender for the construction of the sorting line will have to be held from scratch.

Earlier, in a commentary to NikVesti, Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych said that he supported the implementation of the project to build a sorting line in Mykolaiv, which the city has been working on for the past 5 years. However, it is up to the deputies to decide after a detailed study of the project.

Ihor Nabatov, deputy director of the Mykolaiv Department of Housing and Communal Services, said that the city council is obliged to introduce waste sorting in the city, otherwise, city council representatives may be held liable, including criminal liability.

Mykolaiv landfill

Landfill in Mykolaiv, archive photo NikVesti

Back in 2020, in a commentary to NikVesti, the mayor of Mykolaiv said that the city's existing landfill would last for another 10 years, i.e. until 2030.

It is located on the territory of Vesnianske village council in Mykolaiv district. The landfill was put into operation in 1972 with a 50-year lifespan, i.e. until 2022. It is designed to dispose of 50 million cubic metres of waste.

The report on the strategic environmental assessment of the draft master plan for Mykolaiv, published in 2018, stated that the city's landfill capacity was 98% exhausted. Therefore, they added, it is imperative to build new modern waste sorting and recycling facilities, introduce separate waste collection, and increase the use of recycled materials.

In September 2024, the procedure for the operation of the household waste sorting line and the terms of the tender were agreed upon. It was reported that the sorting line will be able to process up to 70% of waste, and the remaining 30% will be buried. The project stipulates that the company that wins the tender will transfer at least 10% of its profits to the maintenance of the landfill.

On 20 May 2025, the city of Mykolaiv selected a company to build a sorting line for solid waste treatment. The winner of the tender was «Waste To Energy Niko».

The terms of the agreement provide for a 25-year period of cooperation. There were warnings in the city council that this was too long and could limit the community's flexibility. At the initiative of the chairman of the planning and budgetary commission of the city council, Fedir Panchenko, an alternative draft decision has already been developed — to refuse the agreement with «Waste To Energy Niko» for waste sorting. Earlier, in a commentary to NikVesti, «Waste To Energy Niko», which won the investment tender held by the city council, assured that such a system would not only reduce the load on the city's landfill, but would also allow the city to save money, create new jobs and gain access to international «green» financing.