The company NIBULON has launched a new phase of its humanitarian demining initiative by signing a financing agreement worth €7.8 million with the German organization DEG Impulse gGmbH under the develoPPP program. This phase of the partnership focuses on maritime and inland water demining, a critically important area for ensuring food security, restoring the agricultural sector, and maintaining logistics resilience in southern Ukraine.
The initiative includes funding for the construction of an innovative 90-meter maritime platform capable of conducting waterway clearance operations using advanced unmanned underwater systems, including remotely operated vehicles (ROV), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), and other unmanned systems. The platform will be fully integrated into NIBULON’s broader humanitarian demining ecosystem, which includes agricultural land clearance, a technical service center, and mobile rapid-response infrastructure.
The platform will be built at NIBULON’s own shipbuilding and repair facility, currently the only operating shipbuilding enterprise in Ukraine. Thanks to its in-house production capabilities, the company can manage the entire project cycle—from engineering and construction to technical outfitting and commissioning.
“We are proud to continue our strategic partnership with DEG Impulse. This new phase not only strengthens our technical capabilities but also demonstrates how Ukrainian businesses can take the lead in overcoming the consequences of war and restoring the economy. The fact that the develoPPP program selected NIBULON for a second time is strong recognition of our company as a socially responsible business making a real impact on Ukraine’s economy and global food security,” said Oleksandr Dolzhenkov, Director for Government Relations at NIBULON.
Expected socio-economic impact of the project:
- Demining over 10 km² of the Black Sea and inland waterways in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, critical for safe grain exports and shipping.
- Clearing an additional 13,600+ hectares of agricultural land.
- Improving living conditions for over 3,000 people, including residents of coastal communities.
- Restoring safe land use for more than 200 farming enterprises.
- Annual production of over 70,000 tons of high-quality grain.
- Creation of new jobs and training for over 60 specialists, including sappers, operators, and divers.
The project also strengthens Ukraine’s broader security infrastructure, building long-term capacity for land clearance, soil restoration, and safe disposal of explosive remnants. The shore-based facility, certified according to International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), will support underwater drones and maritime equipment, as well as technical maintenance and repair of vessels.
