Why cogeneration is not an alternative to centralized heat and electricity supply in Kyiv: Klitschko’s response
Фото: Facebook Віталія Кличка
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko explained why cogeneration plants cannot become a full-fledged alternative to the capital’s centralized heat and electricity supply. According to him, the city continues to restore heat in buildings and uses existing plants primarily for critical infrastructure.
He reported this in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda .
Vitaliy Klitschko noted that Kyiv has been built for decades under a centralized heat and electricity supply system, so it is impossible to provide the entire city with heat using cogeneration plants. He emphasized that heat for such plants is a by-product, because they primarily produce electricity.
“Our city was built for decades in Soviet times under a central heat and electricity supply system. It is impossible to provide heat to the entire city with cogeneration plants,” said the mayor of Kyiv.
According to Klitschko, 5 mini-CHP plants have been launched in the capital so far, and the total number of cogeneration units is 15. The city received some of them from partners and the state, and the rest was purchased at its own expense. In addition, 2 more units were recently provided by Germany.
“First of all, these installations provide critical infrastructure,” Klitschko said.
The mayor reported that Kyiv is now 100% water-secured, and heat is being gradually restored in homes where it is unavailable. At the same time, he stressed that the electricity shortage is a nationwide problem, not just a problem of the capital.
“The whole country has a large electricity deficit,” Klitschko added.
He also noted that cogeneration plants are used for school safety points and critical infrastructure facilities, but they cannot become a panacea for the city. According to him, the cost of 1 megawatt of a cogeneration plant is approximately $1 million, excluding installation and connection.
“The city of Kyiv consumes almost 2 thousand megawatts in winter. You can calculate how much money is needed if you theoretically replace all of Kyiv’s centralized heating,” the mayor noted.
Klitschko added that, according to experts, cogeneration cannot replace the system under which the city was built. He recalled that Kyiv is the largest city in Eastern Europe, home to about 3.5 million people.
“There is no alternative to central heating, but we understand the risks and threats, so we need to gradually develop a decentralization program. This requires time and a lot of money,” Klitschko concluded.
It is worth adding that on Monday, February 2, about 200 houses in Kyiv remain without heat supply , most of them on the right bank of the capital.
We would like to remind you that temporary power outage schedules will be reintroduced in Kyiv from midnight on Monday, February 2. The decision was made after the situation in the power system stabilized.
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