Website: SBU warns government of critically low coal stocks in Ukraine
Ukraine’s SBU security service has warned the government that coal stocks at a number of heat generating enterprises are at critically low levels, Ukrainian news website Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported on Dec.16, citing its own sources.
The website said its journalists had obtained a report on counterintelligence support for critical infrastructure facilities in the energy sector. The report states that a number of regions may be left without heating due to the shutdown of heating power plants, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia says.
Ukrainian media reported on Dec. 1 that there were 486,200 tons of coal currently in warehouses – more than five times less than the planned stockpile of 2.6 million.
The most critical situation is at Slovyanska Thermal Power Plant, which has 50 times less coal than it needs. Luhanska Thermal Power Plant has a quarter of its minimum required reserves. Chernihivska Heating Power Plant’s reserves are five times lower than normal. And Darnytska Heating Power Plant in Kyiv has no coal reserves left at all, the report said.
The SBU warned the government that turning off heating in a number of regions would lead to serious accidents, an increase in social tensions, and the erosion of trust in the government.
Recently, media reported that the government is working on plans to switch Ukrainian thermal power plants to burning gas instead of coal due to a shortage of coal and problems with the supply of electricity from Belarus.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Dec. 15 that Ukraine will have enough gas and coal reserves for this heating season.
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