Odessa Has Outlined Steps for the Construction of a Waste Recycling Complex

The Executive Committee of the Odesa City Council approved amendments to the medium-term public investment plan, reclassifying the project to build a waste-to-energy recycling complex under the “urban infrastructure” category. 

According to a statement from the Odesa City Council, this paves the way for attracting South Korean investment in the project.

The project involves the processing of household waste to generate heat and electricity. It is being implemented in partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Community and Territorial Development.

Discussions regarding the project began in 2025. At the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in Rome, the Odessa City Council signed a memorandum of cooperation with the South Korean corporation POSCO International.

The project was also approved by the Korean Economic Cooperation and Development Fund (EDCF). In June 2025, it was registered in the state DREAM system.

Currently, city officials have identified several next steps for implementing the project:

• October 1, 2026 — the project is scheduled to be submitted to the community’s unified project portfolio for subsequent inclusion in the national portfolio;
• First quarter of 2027 — development of the pre-project documentation is expected to begin;
• Third quarter of 2027 — the completed pre-project documentation is scheduled to be submitted to the Korean fund to begin developing the technical design;
• 2029 — estimated start of construction.

Under optimal conditions, construction could take between two and two and a half years.

According to the city council, the Korean side will fully finance the development of the preliminary and design documentation. There are no plans to use funds from the city or state budgets for this stage.

The final cost of the project, its technical specifications, and other parameters will be determined after the preparation of the feasibility study.

Once operational, the complex is expected to provide Odesa with additional capacity for household waste disposal, as well as generate heat and electricity.

Ірина Глухова