Ukraine’s Centrenergo survives 13 Russian attacks, says CEO
Since the beginning of the war, Centerenergo enterprises have been hit by 32 Russian missiles (Photo:ФДМУ / Facebook)
Ukrainian state-owned PJSC Centrenergo’s thermal power plants (TPPs) have survived 13 Russian missile attacks – resulting in 32 hits — throughout Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, Centrenergo CEO Volodymyr Yehorov said in an interview with Delo.ua media outlet on March 27.
“The equipment of open-air switchers, the main building’s facility, as well as auxiliary workshops at our enterprises were damaged,” he said.
The company’s Trypilska TPP was at a standstill over attacks from Dec. 5 to Dec. 26, he said.
“Thanks to our employees’ professionalism and with the help of our colleagues from the Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenergo, we’ve managed to find non-standard technical solutions and put the power plants back to operation,” he said.
“As of today, we’re continuing rebuilding and repairing the damaged equipment. This requires significant financial and human resources.”
Russian invaders occupied the town of Svitlodarsk and Vuhlehirska TPP in July 2022, said the company’s head. Since then, the company has lost contact with the enterprise.
“That power plant is very important to us, because it accounts for about 45% of our capacity assets,” Yehorov explained.
He added that Centrenergo is in a difficult situation due to problems with access to energy resources.
“Coal production at state-owned mines has significantly decreased over the past few years,” he said.
“It more than halved during 2020−2022 and now amounts to about two million tonnes per year, while the price of coal, on the contrary, has (more than doubled) from UAH 1,800 ($49) to UAH 4,230 ($116) per tonnes, without VAT and logistics costs.”
In the summer of 2022, the State Property Fund initiated the sale of Centrenergo and state coal mines in one lot.
Centrenergo operates 23 power units (18 pulverized coal and five gas and oil) at Vuhlehirska, Zmiivska, and Trypilska TPPs with a total installed capacity of 7.66 GW.
The state owns 78.3% of the company’s shares.
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