KIEV, UKRAINE — GNT, an integrated grain supply and export logistics group operating in Ukraine, has secured a $20 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to be used to improve the company’s procurement and storage of agricultural commodities.

“The EBRD loan will allow GNT to meet growing demand for modern infrastructure and to provide better links with local farmers to maintain processing volumes at its newly expanded grain terminals, which were previously financed by the Bank,” the EBRD said. “The new loan continues the successful cooperation between the EBRD and GNT that supported the company with the installation of grain-storage, cleaning and drying facilities in the port of Odessa in southern Ukraine.”

GNT is engaged in both grain and metal trading, and is one of the few operators providing terminal services to third parties in the port of Odessa.

The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. The group has made a cumulative commitment of approximately €11.6 billion through 383 projects since the start of its operations in 1993.

In September, Astarta Group, an agri-industrial company operating in the Ukrainian grains and sugar sectors, secured a $25 million loan from the EBRD to finance development of Astarta’s grain and sugar infrastructure. The loan will support Astarta’s long-term strategy to develop and modernize its existing grain and sugar infrastructure, allowing the company to achieve greater operating and production efficiency while lowering costs.

As part of the project, Astarta plans to build and acquire six grain storage facilities with a total capacity of 480,000 tonnes and build one sugar storage facility with a total storage capacity of 50,000 tonnes, the EBRD said. The new storage facilities will be located in Poltava and Khmelnitsky.