April 24, 2014. The total economic effect resulting from energy-saving measures implemented by Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) in 2013 is expected to amount to more than 49.5m RUR over a twelve-month period, MMK PR Department reports. The measures implemented in 2013 will result in over 6m kilowatt/hours worth of electric power savings (some 15m RUR). These savings were effected by replacing the energy-intensive equipment with better counterparts, improving the performance of production facilities, and replacing the old-fashioned light bulbs with energy-saving ones. What is more,

April 23, 2014. ChTPZ Group's Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant and Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant delivered 410,300,000 kg of steel pipes to consumers in the first quarter of 2014, which was 8% more than a year earlier (381,600,000 kg). According to ChTPZ press service, pipe plants shipped 238,300,000 kg of weldless pipes to consumers in January-March 2014, which was 1% more than the 236,000,000 kg delivered a year earlier. The company sold 172,000 welded pipes to consumers, which was 15% more than in the first three months of 2013 (146,000,000 kg). The increase has to do with bigger

April 23, 2014. Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant (PNTZ) used 18 different vehicles to have a clean-up day in Pervouralsk: loaders, KAMAz trucks, and multi-purpose road maintenance vehicles, the company's press service says. To make Pervouralsk look nice and clean, the plant bought the necessary appliances such as brooms, spades, whitewash for the trees, buckets, paint rolls, and 26,000 trash bags. The clean-up day's slogan was, 'Pervouralsk. White. Clean. Mine.' 'We cleaned up 32 hectares of municipal quarters last year, whitewashed 1,170 trees, and took over 2,000 m3 of

April 23, 2014. An awarding ceremony completed the Innovation Nizhniy Novgorod 2013 contest, and Burevestnik, a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation, won in the IT Innovation category, the corporation's press service says. 'The contestants presented their videos on innovative projects to the jurors; the videos were accompanied by some comments on the economic and technical parameters of the innovation: the idea, the savings effect, the implementation stage, and the scale of the innovation, that is, whether it is local, national, or world-wide,' the press release

April 23, 2014. An up-to-date Italian concrete plant Piccini, owned by UBT-Service (a daughter company of Uralvagonzavod Corporation), now operates in Nizhniy Tagil. According to the corporation's press service, the maximum capacity of the new facility is estimated at 50 m3 an hour. 'The launch of the new concrete plant is expected fully to cover Nizhniy Tagil and the corporation's demand for readily available good quality concrete that is currently under-supplied because of a greater amount of building jobs going on,' the message says. This is actually the second plant

April 23, 2014. Consumer prices of goods and services rose by 2.2% in March 2014 compared with December 2013. In March 2013, the figure was actually 0.2% lower than in December 2012, Sverdlovskstat reports. Food items grew 4% more expensive, including a 3.9% increase in food prices and a 5.1% increase in the price of strong drinks. The prices of fruit and vegetables increased by 17.8%, including a 46.2% increase in the price of potatoes, a 28% increase in the price of vegetables, and a 9.6% increase in the price of fruit and citrus fruits. The price of cabbage rose the most (it actually

April 22, 2014. Ural Airlines added one more Airbus 319 to its fleet of vehicles on April 19, 2014, the air carrier's press service reports. 'This is the fourth air liner of this particular make the company has bought. The airline is now using 32 Airbus liners. The fourth Airbus A 319 arrived in Yekaterinburg from Turkey. Its capacity is 134 seats, including 126 economy class seats and 8 business class ones,' the company press service says. The new airplane is expected to be used for both international and domestic hauls. Airbus 319 operated its first flight within the company

April 22, 2014. Transport Machine-Building Design Bureau (KBTM, a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) bought 10 electric vehicles ET 2054 in Yekaterinburg. 'The vehicles are produced by M.I. Kalinin Machine-Building Plant and are meant for transporting cargo of up to 2,000 kg indoors and outdoors. This is an environmentally friendly means of transportation that can enter any department. These vehicles are 3.5 meters long and 1.3 meters wide and are maneuvered enough so as to easily move around the entire territory. The vehicles are fitted with lead-acid batteries that can be

April 22, 2014. The head of Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (ChTZ, a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) Tool Department Lyubov Fortygina won in Her Majesty Woman Contest, in the Social Movement Leader category. The contest was coordinated by Chelyabinsk Council. According to the corporation's press service, the winner has been the permanent head of the plant employees' Weather at Home Family Club. 80 women took part in the contest, including managers and lower-level employees, representatives of amateur art and dance clubs, housewives, and leaders of local social movements.

April 22, 2014. A large group of Canadian delegates might visit the International Industrial Exhibition Innoprom 2014 in Yekaterinburg on July 9-12. This visit is still being negotiated at the moment, Formica Group, the event coordinator, told UrBC. 'We are currently negotiating a visit of a large group of delegates from Canada to Innoprom and the joint events that could be implemented during the Russian forum involving the Russian-German Chamber of Foreign Trade (AHK) and the US Trade Chamber in Russia (AmCham),' the company says. According to Innoprom coordinator, 232 companies

April 22, 2014. President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov met ChTPZ Group BOD Chairman Alexander Fedorov in Kazan, the company's official statement says. 'Rustam Minnikhanov stressed the important part ChTPZ Group's machine-building asset, Alnas, plays in the economic potential of Tatarstan, and said he was sure all of the plant's goals will be achieved,' the press release says. During the meeting, the two heads talked about the developmental prospects of Alnas, a plant that is one of Rimera Corporation's assets and part of ChTPZ Group. Alexander

April 19, 2014. Ural Locomotives Plant keeps working on a power-assisted section for its GRANIT 2ES10 electric locomotive. The introduction of a new section will increase the efficiency of cargo vehicles in the mountainous sections of Russian Railways, the company’s press service reports. The plant started making the first power-assisted section in December 2013. Since then, the Design & Research Department and the Preproduction Engineering Department of Ural Locomotives started preparing the design and technological documentation. As soon as February 2014, the body frame for the section

April 19, 2014. Omsk-based Transport Machine-Building Design Bureau (KBTM, a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) is now working on upgrading its civilian-purpose PTS 4 amphibious assault troop carrier. The carrier is expected to be used by the Ministry of Emergencies, the Transport Ministry, and the Nature Ministry, Uralvagonzavod reports. The ministries have felt the need for such a vehicle for a long time now. Last year, military vehicles had to be used for rescuing people during the terrible flood in the Far East. These were specifically the amphibious assault troop carriers

April 19, 2014. On April 17, the Director-General of Rostech Corporation Sergey Chemezov and Governor of Sverdlovsk Region Evgeniy Kuivashev signed a cooperation agreement that will promote the development and multi-faceted implementation of the scientific, technological, and production potential of all of Rostech member enterprises located in Sverdlovsk Region, the state corporation’s press service reports. For one, the two parties are planning to work together on the creation of up-to-date science parks and technological parks, on the design, development, and sales of hi tech industrial

April 19, 2014. Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation came up with the results of its annual innovations and improvements contest for 2013. Over 300 employees from 55 divisions of the corporation’s head plant took part in the improvement activity, the corporation’s press service says. According to the press service, the contest results in greater activity on the employees’ part and draws as many of them as possible into the development of the enterprise’s technical and intellectual potential. Besides, the contest enhances labor productivity and improves production, technical,

April 19, 2014. Sinara Pipe Plant (a member enterprise of Pipe Metallurgical Company) conducted a series of professional skills contest for the young mill rollers and pipe-cutters; this contest is part of the company’s multi-faceted personnel program and its Youth Project, Pipe Metallurgical Company’s press service reports. 11 people took part in the mill roller contest on the premises of Department T3, and 8 people took part in the pipe-cutter contest on the premises of Department T2. All the contestants were under 30 years old. During the theory part of the contest, all the participants had

April 18, 2014. The Russian Federation Economic Development Ministry and Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) signed a cooperation agreement in the field of foreign economic activity, the company reports. The agreement was signed by Minister Alexei Ulyukayev and MMK Director-General Pavel Shilyayev. The paper provides for sharing information, mutual expert and consultant advice, organization and conduction of events, including those that involve Russian trade representations and those held within intergovernmental commissions for Russia's trade and economic and scientific and

April 18, 2014. Lyudinovsky Locomotive Plant (LTZ, a member enterprise of Sinara Transport Machines) got a compliance certificate for its TEM14 two-diesel locomotives series; the certificate proves the locos comply with the federal railway transport requirements, the holding’s press service reports. LTZ actually had its first fifteen TEM14 two-diesel engines certified in June 2013. Having a locomotive certificate meant the plant is allowed to make 44 additional locomotives from its pilot batch. Russian Railways are currently the key customer and consumer for the TEM14 loco; this make proved

April 18, 2014. Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and Sochi proved the most popular destinations for Yekaterinburg travelers in May, while Kyiv and Istanbul are no longer among the top ten most coveted places to visit, Aviasales.ru PR Manager Yanis Dzenis told UrBC. He explained Yekaterinburg residents are now flying in very different directions from the ones chosen last year. Those who decided to go away for the May recess preferred the countries in the dollar zone. According to a research conducted by Aviasales.ru analysts, the destinations popular with Yekaterinburg travelers this spring are:

April 18, 2014. According to Ural Chamber of Real Estate’s Analytical Department, the median price of a square meter of housing offered for sale on Yekaterinburg existing homes market came to 74,432 RUR on April 14, 2014, the Chamber’s press service reports. This figure is up 0.2% on last week and 2.3% higher than the one at the beginning of the year. This means the market prices keep rising proportionally to the inflation rate: according to Rosstat, consumer prices in Russia rose by 2.3% in the first quarter of 2014.