Ukraine is already starting to think about heating and light for next winter
The main task of this working group is to prepare for the next autumn and winter heating season in conditions where Russia is purposefully destroying Ukraine’s energy supply and other infrastructure.
“Today we are facing unusual challenges – perhaps the biggest during a full-scale war. The first challenge is the scale of the damage. More than 800 heat supply facilities have been destroyed or damaged,” said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmihals.
“After mass shootings, Ukraine has lost up to 8 gigawatts of electricity generations, there are also losses in distribution systems. In order to balance consumption with production, emergency aid from our Western neighbors has to be used. Therefore, of course, we invite all consumers to be frugal – especially during peak hours. To restore what was lost, a colossal amount is needed – close to one billion dollars (almost 932 million euros). This is now, but apparently the attacks will continue and the amount of losses will only increase,” the head of government said.
The second challenge the working group is working on is how to increase the amount of international aid. Ukraine is grateful to all allies who are supporting it during this difficult period, but the needs are many times greater than the support that is currently coming in.
“Over 410 million euros have already been collected in the Ukrainian energy support fund. We have received help from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which is 120 boiler houses, 91 cogeneration plants, 55 transformers and a lot of other equipment. Now a new USAID program for energy support of Ukraine is starting worth 190 million dollars.
We need to redouble our efforts to attract resources. The whole world should be involved in the restoration of energy in Ukraine – we are asking for it,” emphasized Shmihals.
The third major challenge that the working group of the Ukrainian government has to deal with is the financial condition of energy supply companies. The large debts of citizens and companies for electricity and heat hinder the opportunities of companies to invest in renovation and modernization, so we are thinking about how to solve these problems.
Certain decisions have already been taken in favor of the worst-hit Kharkiv region – for example, the residents of this region will receive five times more support for electricity bills, so that they can afford to pay for alternative sources of electricity.
Also, a huge challenge in the current conditions is not only to restore everything that Russia has destroyed or damaged at the moment, but also to start a systemic reconstruction of the energy and heat supply system with the aim of decentralizing it.
All this is done on the assumption that Russian attacks will continue, but that decentralization will help greatly reduce the extent of the damage. For example, if a missile hits a station, it is disconnected from the overall network without causing damage to the entire area. Thus, as many people as possible would have the opportunity to spend the next winter in warmth and light.
