Kyiv installs five mini-CHP plants; two now operational
REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
Kyiv installed five miniature combined heat and power (CHP) plants to help provide heating and electricity as Russian missile strikes and harsh weather have put the Ukrainian capital on brink of collapse, city officials said on Jan. 14.
Two of these are already online, and the remaining three are undergoing final testing, Kyiv City State Administration official Petro Panteleyev told Hromadske.
The five units together produce 66 megawatts, not nearly enough to cover the capital’s entire demand, but sufficient to support some critical facilities.
“We’re still procuring capacity because we see additional risks: [Russian] attacks on [natural] gas infrastructure,” Panteleyev said.
“We’ve ordered a 20-megawatt diesel plant that we plan to commission in March. We also expect to bring another large power station online in August.”
Each mini-CHP is placed inside a protective structure. Kyiv has spent about UAH12 billion ($325 million) on equipment, installation, and anti-drone shelters for seven such units. In 2024, the city ordered 15 cogeneration plants to produce heat and electricity; municipal utility Kyivteploenergo awarded a contract to a Slovak company to supply 40.5 megawatts of generating capacity.
Panteleyev previously described the gas-powered CHP plants as backup power for critical infrastructure.
“When the main power grid goes down, large heat-generation plants stop operating because no generator capacity can sustain them,” he said in a November 2025 interview.
“A mini-CHP keeps the heating plant running and can distribute any surplus electricity to nearby homes.”
Funding for the mini-CHP program comes from the city budget, Kyivteploenergo, and the UN Development Programme.
Will you support Ukraine’s free press?
Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations.
As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility – to amplify Ukraine’s voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation.
It’s the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine.
If you’re willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda.
Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd.
If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly.
There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting.
We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If you’re willing to stand up for the truth – consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.
Will you help tell Ukraine’s story to the world?
Twenty years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of – from music and culture to technology.
We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If you’re willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
