Novus Ukraine is postponing the opening of a "green" distribution center being built for a syndicated loan from the EBRD, Novus COO Oleksiy Panasenko said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

"We continue to build our 40,000 sq m distribution center as part of a "green" loan of $100 million loan from the EBRD. It will be built according to the BREEAM standard, environmentally friendly, refrigeration equipment will work according to high world standards for CO2. The war made adjustments to the timing, respectively, the dates of its opening are shifted," he said.

Panasenko recalled that one of the company's logistics centers was destroyed during the war.

"Losses from the destruction of a warehouse with perishable products amounted to UAH 75 million. We rented new logistics facilities after losing ours. There are difficulties associated with a shortage of large warehouses, and today we are working with six warehouses instead of the two we used to work with," he said.

At the same time, the company does not intend to start additional logistics projects at this stage.

"The distribution center will become our main (logistics center) and will provide opportunities for the development of the network as a whole," Panasenko said.

As reported, in August 2020, the EBRD provided $100 million to Novus Ukraine for the construction of a distribution center and more than 30 stores by the end of 2022. At that time, the network consisted of 47 objects.