Five Ukrainians attended a demolition training course in Finland as part of a joint project between Nordic companies Nefco and Lotus Demolition. The training supports sustainable reconstruction in Ukraine by transferring Finnish expertise in safe and circular economy demolition.
In November, a Ukrainian group of three women and two men acquired demolition skills in Finland to export to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian training includes demolition theory, occupational safety and asbestos handling. Participants receive Finnish occupational safety certifications in Ukrainian as well as practical training in concrete crushing, metal separation and the use of demolition machines. The course ends with a three-week supervised internship at demolition sites in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
“It’s not just about training. It’s about transferring practical experience that participants can take with them to use in rebuilding their own communities. It’s real rebuilding,” says Lotus Demolition’s CEO. Kimmo Palomäki.
Nataliia, who is participating in the training, lost her home in the war and says she now lives in a rented house in Bucha. The training creates hope: “Joining this team gives me the opportunity to learn demolition skills and actively participate in rebuilding the future of my country.”
Part of a Swedish-funded program
The training in Finland and subsequent support for demolition work in Ukraine is part of a six million euro project funded by Sweden and managed by Nefco to support sustainable reconstruction and demolition waste management in Ukraine.
At the same time, a new sustainable demolition waste management model is being piloted in Irpin, one of the cities in the Kiev region that has suffered the most from Russia's offensive. The operation can be expanded to hundreds of municipalities across the war-torn country.
Swedish companies Scania and Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) will supply the trucks and demolition excavators for the reconstruction project. The loaders will come from the UK-based JCB, and the Italian company Komplet will supply the construction waste screening and crushing plant.
However, the concept is not just about technology and equipment. It is about capacity building more broadly: developing local knowledge and skills in the sustainable management of demolition waste. The focus is on training and employing women in demolition work and handling heavy machinery. The approach accelerates reconstruction, strengthens civil society and promotes long-term resilience.
Over 60 projects underway
Nefco has over 60 green reconstruction projects under implementation in Ukraine.
“We are combining Nordic solidarity, funding, technology and know-how with local communities in Ukraine. At its core is capacity building: empowering people, especially women, to lead reconstruction efforts independently. By investing in people and environmentally friendly methods, we are helping Ukraine rebuild greener and better,” says Nefco’s Head of Eastern Europe Ulf Bojo.
A demolition team trained in Irpin will begin demolishing damaged apartment buildings, an industrial plant, and a school in the nearby town of Mykulych. The school will be rebuilt with Finnish funding under the Nefco reconstruction program.
For more information, please contact Nefco. Vitaly Artyushchenko ja Anni Rein, and at Lotus Demolition, division manager Olli-Pekka Itälä.
Which Nefco, which Lotus Demolition?
Nefco, an environmental finance company, finances the early expansion of Nordic environmental solutions into global markets. Founded in 1990 by the five Nordic countries, Nefco provides only green financing. It has financed over 1,700 projects in areas such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, wastewater treatment and waste management, and clean industrial processes, and has helped to scale up over 650 environmental solutions into global markets.
Lotus Demolition, a comprehensive demolition services company, operates throughout Finland and also handles demolition projects internationally. The company is part of the Nordic Lotus, a family-owned company from Sweden engaged in demolition, transport and recycling business. The largest demolition company in the Nordics has a turnover of approximately 120 million euros and employs approximately 450 professionals.