Kyiv Metro purchased a hydraulic press for UAH 50 million from a Slovak company

Deal details and equipment specifications

On 13 October, the municipal enterprise "Kyiv Metro" completed the tender procedure and ordered a hydraulic press for wheelsets. The contract value is EUR 935,000, equivalent to UAH 50.16 million excluding VAT. The Slovak company "EuroTechService s.r.o." was declared the winner of the tender.

In accordance with the contract terms, the supplier must deliver the WNG300 model equipment to Kyiv (DAP terms) by the end of 2027. The equipment is manufactured by the Italian firm "Officine Meccaniche BBM S.p.A" and must not be older than 2024. The press is intended for pressing and unpressing wheelset components (wheels, brake discs, gears, bearings, support, labyrinth, and locking rings) during the repair or manufacture of wheelsets for E, 81-714, 81-717 carriages and their modifications, as well as 81-7020, 81-7021, 81-7080, and 81-7081 models.

The technical specifications of the equipment include two press cylinders with a nominal force of 3,000 kN, a stroke of 900 mm, and a positioning accuracy of 0.2 mm. The machine is equipped with manual and automatic operating modes, and the total installed power is 28 kW.

Financial terms and guarantees

Payment for the supply is divided into three parts: an advance payment of 70% of the contract value. An additional 20% is paid after the delivery of the goods. The remaining 10% is paid after the provision of ancillary services, specifically acceptance tests at the manufacturer's facility, supervisory assembly at the buyer's site, commissioning, operational testing, and staff training.

The cash guarantee for contract performance amounted to EUR 23,387, corresponding to 2.5% of the contract value. The warranty period for the equipment is one year.

Tender procedure progress and competitor rejections

The sole qualification criterion for participation in the tender was having annual revenue of at least 100% of the expected procurement value. Participants were also required to provide a certificate from the manufacturer regarding experience in manufacturing and supplying similar equipment, as well as a document confirming the participant's relationship with the manufacturer.

Two competitors who offered lower prices were rejected. The limited liability company "Financial and Industrial Company 'Resursgrup'" offered the HQ01-300 press manufactured by the Chinese company "Hubei Heqiang Machinery Development Limited By Share Ltd" for UAH 46.90 million. The customer contacted the manufacturer to confirm the technical specifications. The manufacturer provided a technical specification previously sent to the firm "FPC 'Resursgrup'", as well as its own specification. The customer identified discrepancies: the press offered by the participant was designated for the assembly and disassembly of wheels and brake discs only, whereas work with gears, bearings, and rings depends on the provision of agreed assembly drawings. Due to the provision of inaccurate information, the application from "FPC 'Resursgrup'" was rejected.

The Czech company "OksichemK s.r.o." offered a press of German manufacture by "MAE Maschinen- und Apparatebau Götzen GmbH" for UAH 47.00 million. Its application was rejected because the type of document confirming the product's compliance with requirements was not specified in the technical specification. In addition, both the handwritten and electronic signatures were missing from the experience certificate and the technical specification.

About the winner and its management

The Slovak "EuroTechService s.r.o." was registered in 2019. The company's official website states that it offers specialised services for trenchless rehabilitation of pipeline communications of various purposes and diameters in Europe. This is the first state contract the firm has received in Ukraine.

According to the charter documents, the sole owner of the company is Ukrainian citizen Serhiy Arent, who resides in Bucha in the Kyiv region. Judging by the extract on criminal record, he is from Lutsk in the Volyn region. The company is managed by two individuals: Serhiy Arent himself and Maryna Klochova, who resides in Russia. The company's first manager was Manuchekhr Burkhanov from Bratislava.

In Ukraine, businessman Serhiy Serhiyovych Arent from Lutsk owns and manages the limited liability company "Antares SV". He is also a co-founder of the public organisation "Association of Street Food Professionals. Quality and Safe Food on the Street" and the director of the Volyn regional public organisation "Patriot's View".