2024-06-17 23:53:56
Russia destroyed so many energy stations in Ukraine that half of the electrical energy manufacturing was misplaced. That is already tough in summer season – in winter it may very well be disastrous. Dmytro Sakharuk from the Ukrainian power firm DTEK says in an interview with ntv.de that what is required is just not solely repairs to broken energy crops, but in addition extra air protection and a rise in electrical energy imports from neighboring nations.
Within the medium time period, Ukraine’s electrical energy technology wants a decentralized energy provide. And extra renewable sources, as a result of they’re extra resilient, says Sakharuk: “In fact, wind generators and photo voltaic panels may also be attacked, however the Russians must spend rather more sources on them as a result of that the programs are unfold over an enormous space. And they’re positively simpler and quicker to make use of for repairs.”
Dmytro Sakharuk is the managing director of DTEK, the most important personal power firm in Ukraine.
(Photograph: DTEK)
ntv.de: President Zelensky mentioned on Tuesday on the reconstruction convention in Berlin that Russian missile and drone assaults destroyed half of Ukraine’s electrical energy technology capability. How badly is your organization affected?
Dmytro Sakharuk: Earlier than this wave of assaults, that’s, earlier than March 22 of this yr, we had six thermal energy crops.
Coal or fuel?
Cash. They had been already attacked within the earlier wave between October 2022 and February 2023, however we repaired them. This yr there have been six assaults on our energy stations: two in March, two in April, one in Could and one in June. The entire capability obtainable at these six energy crops was 5 gigawatts. We at present have 500 megawatts obtainable to provide electrical energy. We’re principally all the way down to 10 p.c, from 5 gigawatts to 500 megawatts. We attempt to restore at the least half of the issues that had been broken or destroyed by the beginning of the heating season.
So till October?
Relies on the way you rely. Historically, the heating season in Ukraine begins on October 15. Final yr, resulting from unusually heat climate, the authorities determined to postpone the date to November 1. To restore half of the injury, we’d like between $350 and $400 million – primarily to purchase transformers, generators and mills. The issue is that corporations do not have something like this on their cabinets. Often, such units are manufactured for the respective system. So the lead time is lengthy and naturally prepayment should be made.
Are you able to restore the ability stations?
This yr there may very well be at the least a partial short-term resolution. We might supply materials from energy stations constructed through the Soviet period in nations reminiscent of Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece. We’re already visiting these services along with the Ministry of Vitality of Ukraine and Ukrainian power corporations. A lot of them have been closed or are being closed resulting from ecological rules. We verify what can be utilized in Ukraine.
Did you discover what you’re on the lookout for?
We discovered some issues – not every part we’d like, and naturally it is used. However the materials ought to be capable of be repaired, maintained, loaded onto vans and transported to Ukraine. That is the quickest method to restore at the least a few of our electrical energy technology capability. In fact, the content material doesn’t at all times match. Our energy plant blocks might be a bit like Frankenstein items.
Do you’ve gotten sufficient engineers and staff to restore the broken pipes and tools?
Sure. We make use of 50,000 individuals within the numerous divisions of our firm. Miners, for instance, are actually serving to to restore programs, substations and contours. Nevertheless, we now have a scarcity of expert staff who can adapt the fabric from the previous energy stations within the neighboring nations. The dimensions of the destruction is so nice that we do not have sufficient engineers to deal with it. We additionally lack the workers to dismantle the units and transport them to the place they’re wanted. There are at present 5,000 of our workers within the army. 289 had been killed as troopers. 875 are injured. 66 are lacking. And we even have twelve workers who’re in captivity. A few of our workers died at work. 4 individuals had been killed and 65 injured. That is the excessive worth we pay for working energy stations. You want workers to oversee the blocks – even when there’s an alarm. We then cut back the variety of colleagues to a minimal and have added extra safety measures within the management rooms; additionally they put on protecting vests and helmets. However it’s nonetheless very harmful. These persons are like troopers in trenches.
How a lot will these Frankenstein blocks assist?
They won’t cowl all of the wants, perhaps 15 or 20 p.c. That is why we additionally must get new content material, as a result of previous content material can’t be utilized in sure locations – in management rooms, for instance. So we’d like cash – the monetary necessities are excessive and our firm’s gross sales are low. Within the earlier wave, we repaired ten items and spent $126 million. All ten items now must be repaired once more. We hope for worldwide assist. The Ukrainian authorities could present low-cost loans, or worldwide establishments such because the European Financial institution for Reconstruction and Growth or the European Funding Financial institution can also present loans to amass the tools and finance the work. US Help, the US growth cooperation company, has already offered $46 million to offer tools, plus $26 million from the European Vitality Safety Assist Fund. However the hole continues to be big: we’d like $350 to $400 million for all repairs. And there are solely a most of 140 days left till the heating season begins.
Are the assaults from March totally different from the primary wave of assaults within the winter of 2022/2023?
In the course of the first wave we had extra air protection. This spring, the Russians had been ready for the second Ukraine would run out of anti-aircraft ammunition due to delays from our American and European companions. That’s the most important issue: our defensive capacity.
For the time being we try to clarify in each dialog: even when there’s cash, tools and other people to do the work, does it make any sense if the Russians ship one other airwave and once more inside a month, per week or a day destroy our energy . crops.
At first look, it seems that the Russians waited till March to assault power infrastructure.
That was very logical. In December, January and February they despatched 1000’s of Shaheed drones free to put on down our defenses. Once they realized that our provides had been nearly at zero, they knew this was the best time to launch missiles. So it’s not sufficient for us to revive our energy technology capability, we additionally want to have the ability to defend it. However there’s a third factor we’d like.
What’s the third factor?
We have to enhance our power imports from Europe. Ukraine is related to the European electrical energy grid from 16 March 2022. At present, the related capability is 1.7 gigawatts – that’s the mixed capability of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. From a purely technical perspective, nevertheless, the capability is 3.5 gigawatts. The 1.7 gigawatt restrict was determined by the European Community of Transmission System Operators, ENTSO. That is the discussion board the place engineers resolve how a lot electrical energy may be transferred from one nation to a different throughout the European grid. They normally take a really conservative method. This was additionally the case when our energy programs had been synchronized: the ENTSO engineers mentioned it was not possible, we must wait two years. Because of political strain from the European Fee, it occurred in March and is working completely. We in all probability will not get to three.5 gigawatts, however 2.2 or 2.5 is actually potential. From a technical perspective every part is prepared.
How a lot electrical energy do you want?
We now have a 2 gigawatt electrical energy deficit in Ukraine. In winter this can rise to 4 gigawatts as many individuals use electrical energy for heating. A rise in power imports of 0.5 or 0.7 gigawatts might exchange two or three broken items. This might considerably cut back energy outage instances.
How usually does the electrical energy must be turned off?
At present, the state transmission system operator Ukrenergo should set limits for regional corporations. The regional operators swap off clients in response to a schedule. In Kiev, for instance, DTEK launched a rolling schedule for every district: individuals don’t have any electrical energy for 4 hours, then electrical energy for 5 hours – and so forth. If the power deficit will increase in winter, the durations with out electrical energy might be for much longer: seven hours with out electrical energy, two hours with electrical energy. Individuals might be with out energy of their properties for as much as 20 hours. It is a big drawback. 500 or 700 megawatts from our neighboring nations might tremendously alleviate our state of affairs. That is the third step: restore, defend and import extra electrical energy. The fourth step that’s at present being talked about lots is the set up of decentralized power sources.
Decentralized power system?
Sure, with fuel generators and mills. Ukraine ought to deliver every part potential into the nation and set up necessary infrastructure reminiscent of water, sewage and heating programs. None of those programs work with out electrical energy. If there isn’t a electrical energy, individuals may have no electrical energy, however they might additionally don’t have any warmth, no water and no sewage. Then residences grow to be unoccupied. Because the President mentioned on Tuesday, we misplaced 9 gigawatts. The potential for changing even elements of it with out decentralizing our system is proscribed. It is going to take two to a few years to decentralize our power system, so we have to begin now. It isn’t nearly shopping for fuel generators and mills, but in addition integrating them into the grid. This may take time. Nevertheless, it’s the quickest and most cost-effective resolution.
What sort of mills would these be?
The small mills we’re pondering of are fuel generators with an output of 25 megawatts, or mills that run on diesel or gasoline like a ship’s engine. They might produce as much as 18 megawatts. With sufficient mills we might preserve the important infrastructure that’s so badly wanted within the winter so that folks can keep of their properties.
What position do renewable power programs play on this idea?
You will need to develop renewable power as a result of it’s extra resilient: in fact, wind generators and photo voltaic panels may also be attacked, however the Russians must spend rather more sources on this as a result of the programs unfold over an unlimited space. And they’re actually simpler and quicker to restore.
Hubertus Volmer and Maryna Bratchyk spoke to Dmytro Sakharuk
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