Preparations for the heating season enter final stage – Prime Minister of Ukraine

According to Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, protecting strategic energy facilities is one of the priorities in preparing for the heating season, which is expected to begin in October. The systematic and serious work is currently ongoing in this direction.

“We are implementing projects that no one else in the world has ever done. We install and repair in weeks what would otherwise take months or even years,” said the Ukrainian Prime Minister during a Government meeting on September 12, 2023.

Shmyhal also emphasized that Ukraine continued to gear up the power system for the autumn-winter period, and as of today, the preparations are entering their final stage. “Seven nuclear power units have been repaired, and two more will be commissioned before the start of the heating season. Their total capacity will be 7,8 GW. We are making an important step towards energy independence – new nuclear fuel from Westinghouse has been loaded at Rivne NPP to replace the Russian monopoly on such fuel. Europe, together with Ukraine, must remove Russia from this market to get rid of the energy threat”.

As the Ukrainian Prime Minister noted, the Ministry of Energy had committed itself to launching 25 units of thermal power plants by the beginning of the heating season, providing the power system with 4,5 GW of capacity. In particular, almost 80% of the equipment at thermal power plants has been repaired. Intensive repairs are also currently underway and will be completed on time. In addition, 35 hydroelectric power units with a capacity of almost 2,3 GW have been either repaired or are under repair, as well.

“According to the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, a total of 804 MW of the planned additional 1,7 GW of capacity had already been added to the system. About 15,200 boiler houses, 84% of heating networks, 78% of central heating stations, more than 80% of residential buildings, 86% of schools, kindergartens, and hospitals are ready for winter. It should be 100% in a month,” summarized Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed that Ukraine will receive more self-propelled anti-aircraft guns “Gepard” from its partners, particularly to protect the Ukrainian energy network from possible Russian attacks during the coming autumn-winter period.

“We are mobilizing all our forces. To increase the supply of various air defense systems and physical protection of objects even further,” stated Zelenskyy.