The war in Donbass could destroy 50% of Ukraine's electricity generating capacity

Kyiv, July 16 (Navigator, Vladimir Mikhailov) – The consequences of hostilities in Donbass can be catastrophic for the power supply of Ukraine and the economy as a whole. Half of the capacity of Ukrainian thermal power plants is concentrated in the zone of instability; a war in this region could lead to the collapse of the energy system.

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This opinion was expressed at the round table “Restoring the infrastructure of the liberated territories of Donbass” held in Kyiv by Vadim Glamadzin, Deputy General Director of the Center for Energy Research.

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“I would like to say a couple of things that most people don’t think about now, but they influence and can influence the lives of people not only in the regions where the ATO is being carried out, but throughout Ukraine,” he said. – When we say “territory of combat operations and energy”, thoughts immediately come to mind regarding the supply of electricity to the cities of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and others. Of course, providing them with electricity is a daily, often heroic task. But, no matter how cynical it may sound, these are all local problems. There were interruptions in water supplies in Slavyansk - yes, this is a problem, but this is only a problem in Slavyansk.

But when they say “combat territory and energy,” it seems to me that the first thing that should come to mind is the heating season, oddly enough. You all remember the government’s recently expressed idea that in order for us to get through the heating season normally, we need to switch mainly to electric heating and electric boilers. But we must take into account that in Ukraine almost half of the electricity is generated by thermal power plants. And six thermal power plants out of thirteen operating for the domestic market, almost half, are located in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. If these thermal power plants are turned off as a result of hostilities or other circumstances, not only will we not be able to provide electric heating, but there will be no light in the entire country.

And the situation with the Donbass thermal power plant is not easy. The Uglegorsk thermal power plant was never fully launched into the system. Slavyanskaya TPP does not operate in the energy system. The Lugansk Thermal Power Plant is approaching - it is now operating, but the fuel supply routes have been interrupted, so it is operating in a non-standard mode. Those. 3 out of 6 thermal power plants are no longer working. One of them is close to being kicked out of the system.

The remaining three thermal power plants are located a little further from the combat zone, but no one can predict what will happen and how. Everything related to energy, especially electricity, in the Donbass is not a local issue. This could affect the entire country.

There is one more aspect that is not yet talked about, but it is also important, it concerns the heating season. In addition to electric power, there is also thermal power. Several million people live in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. What will happen to the heating season, and how preparations for it will be carried out, no one can say now. There is no way to predict this. You understand - a mine fell, the pipes burst, and the heat supply was interrupted. It is impossible to repair this pipe under fire. And this situation must be considered as complex, close in certain aspects to catastrophic. And not as a local one,” says the expert.