Klitschko: centralized heating remains backbone of Kyiv’s energy system
A Ukrainian thermal power plant damaged by Russian strikes (Photo: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
Kyiv cannot fully replace its centralized heating system — the largest in Europe — with local heat sources or cogeneration units and must continue repairing and modernizing it, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Feb. 11.
Klitschko said the city convened an energy security and resilience council to discuss restoring damaged critical infrastructure and expanding alternative energy capacity in individual neighborhoods.
The centralized heating network was originally designed to operate with large combined heat and power plants, Klitschko said, and cannot simply be abandoned. At the same time, he stressed the importance of developing cogeneration facilities to generate additional electricity for critical infrastructure and other municipal needs.
The council concluded that Kyiv should introduce alternative technologies in parallel with modernizing and protecting the centralized heating system.
Officials also discussed preparations for the next heating season. Klitschko said specialized research institutes will help develop a clear stabilization roadmap for the capital’s energy system under martial law and ongoing large-scale Russian attacks. The city will also create a strategic plan for Kyiv’s future energy and heat supply.
Klitschko said on Feb. 10 that nearly 1,400 residential buildings remained without heating following recent large-scale Russian strikes.
He previously stated that heating cannot be fully restored in parts of the Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts until the Darnytska combined heat and power plant — heavily targeted by Russia on Feb. 3 — is repaired.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said the Darnytska plant sustained severe damage and will require significant time to restore.
Meanwhile, Petro Panteleiev, deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, said on Feb. 10 that heat supply had been fully restored to high-rise buildings in the Desnianskyi district that were left without heating due to Russian shelling. Some buildings, however, may still experience temporary outages because of technical issues.
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