Ukrenergo assesses underground substations as part of security plans

NPC Ukrenergo’s Serhiy Nazarenko said it’s too early to bury Ukraine’s power system underground, citing high costs, technical challenges, and the need for different equipment, during the Energy Security Dialogue-2024 in Kyiv.

He noted that while underground substations are used in some countries like Japan, the expense and potential for irreparable damage from precision weapons make them impractical in the short term.

Nazarenko emphasized that building underground substations would be many times more costly than ground-based ones, even without protection systems.

In addition, Deputy Minister of Energy Mykola Kolisnyk stated that Ukraine may move some overhead power lines underground to shield them from Russian shelling.

Kolisnyk highlighted that multiple technical solutions have been developed to physically protect energy infrastructure and restore damaged facilities, though funding from both the state budget and international assistance is required.