Energy Minister announces 1.3 GW of new power generation in Ukraine: Full details
Photo: Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s Energy Minister (facebook.com/dshmyhal)
Ukraine will announce a tender for the construction of new power generation facilities that will add around 1.3 GW to the country’s energy system, according to a statement by Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, a post by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Reuters.
Denys Shmyhal stressed that the task of the Energy Ministry is not only to repair damaged facilities, but to build a "more protected, more flexible, more market-based, and more EU-integrated" energy system architecture. He added that he expects businesses to become an important part of this process.
"The government yesterday updated the rules for the tender for the construction of new generation, and the competition will be announced soon. We expect this to add about 1.3 GW to the energy system," the minister said.
Preparations for next winter have begun
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine has already begun preparations for the next winter, with facilities destroyed by Russian strikes being gradually restored.
"Across the country, resilience plans have been approved for each region. Road repairs after winter are also ongoing. It is important at the community level and at the regional authorities level not to waste time. Every facility that matters must be protected," the president stressed.
He added that regions and major cities have "clear tasks" regarding alternative generation and the restoration of facilities. Zelenskyy also noted that the Cabinet of Ministers has ensured the addition of cogeneration units to the energy system.
Kyiv has only half of the required capacity
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an interview with Reuters that the capital currently has only half of the necessary capacity and needs 1,700 MW of electricity per day.
"It's the first time in the history of our city that, in such severe frosts, most of the city was left without heating and with a huge shortage of electricity," he said.
Klitschko also stressed that the current energy crisis is the most difficult for Kyiv since the start of the full-scale war.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Center, predicts that scheduled power outages could be reintroduced on a daily basis as early as summer. According to him, this is driven by a seasonal increase in consumption.
Electricity generation in Ukraine currently cannot cover the total demand, which is why consumption restrictions are being introduced in the regions.
Moreover, in spring, power units at nuclear power plants are taken offline for scheduled maintenance, which significantly affects generation, as nuclear plants remain the main source of electricity in Ukraine.
