The initiative to relaunch OPZ and AGT’s readiness to participate in a new privatization tender have once again triggered information attacks

Agro Gas Trading (AGT) has recorded another wave of publications presenting its activities in the context of unrelated criminal proceedings. Such information spikes have become predictable, emerging each time the company publicly announces its intention to participate in the privatization of the Odesa Port Plant (OPZ) or puts forward concrete proposals for restarting its operations.

Following the cancellation of the 2025 privatization tender, the company officially proposed restarting OPZ under a tolling model — the same model that proved effective during 2019–2021. The proposal included supplying feedstock, financing the restart of production units, and assuming market risks in order to resume mineral fertilizer production and preserve the workforce. This initiative was not implemented.

Instead, media publications intensified, linking the company and its partner to criminal proceedings. Reports referenced new suspicions in the case involving former management of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, including four newly identified individuals whose names were not disclosed at the time of publication. In several materials, AGT or its partner were mentioned in this context, despite the absence of any court ruling.

This pattern is not new. Approximately every eighteen months, the discussion around OPZ shifts from issues of governance and economic feasibility to high-profile accusations. As a result, public attention is diverted from the key question: why has this strategic enterprise remained idle for five years, and why has the state failed to ensure either stable asset management or a transparent and competitive sale process.

The facts of cooperation during 2019–2021 are publicly available. Under the tolling model, the plant received feedstock, restart financing, and processing fees. During this period, OPZ produced nearly two million tonnes of ammonia and urea, with approximately ninety percent exported. Total payments to the enterprise amounted to UAH 4.5 billion — comparable to the starting price set in the 2025 privatization procedure.

These figures demonstrate the plant’s ability to operate effectively under a clear and structured cooperation model. However, since the autumn of 2021, OPZ has effectively ceased its core production of mineral fertilizers and has been used primarily as a logistics facility. Five consecutive years of idle capacity mean not only the loss of production potential but also the gradual depreciation of the asset.

The economic impact of relaunching the plant is evident. Full-scale operations could reduce mineral fertilizer imports by approximately USD 500 million annually while generating a comparable amount in export revenues. For the agricultural sector, this would mean stable supply and predictable pricing; for the state, a more balanced trade position and additional budget revenues.

Returning the discussion to a professional and economic framework is essential for the future of the enterprise. The issue is not about information campaigns or public labeling, but about the state’s ability to ensure an effective management model or conduct a transparent privatization process on equal terms for all investors.

OPZ requires managerial decisions and the resumption of production — not another wave of information noise.