French government to help DTEK build Ukraine’s first digital substation
26 March 10:56
DTEK Group has received a €11 million grant from the French government to build the first digital substation in Ukraine. This was reported by the Ukrainian company, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
The project will be implemented using the technology of the French company GE Vernova and will cost 15 million euros. In addition to a grant of €11 million from the French government, another €4 million will be invested in the project by DTEK.
What is known about the construction of the new substation
DTEK Grids, which is responsible for the project, will work in partnership with GE Vernova Grid Solutions SAS, which will provide advanced digital power equipment and technologies. They will allow for remote monitoring and diagnostics of the grid in real time. This will significantly improve the reliability of power supply and significantly reduce electricity losses.
Once commissioned, the substation will provide stable and efficient power supply to more than 65,000 households and businesses in one of the war-affected regions of Ukraine. The new substation will also contribute to the economic recovery of the region by supplying electricity to the nearby industrial cluster.
Preparatory work for the construction of the substation has already begun, and full-scale construction will start in the third quarter of 2025. For security reasons, the exact location is not disclosed.
The digital substation will be an important element of the large-scale Grids of the Future project aimed at modernizing Ukraine’s distribution networks.
What does the Grids of the Future project envisage?
DTEK Grids presented this large-scale project in November last year. It is aimed at upgrading the power grids in Kyiv, Kyiv, Dnipro and Odesa regions. The presentation took place at the international exhibition Rebuild Ukraine in Warsaw.
The project envisages the use of Smart Grid technology, or a “smart grid”. Instead of an outdated energy infrastructure, a modern digital system will be created to ensure high reliability of energy supply, reduce electricity losses, and integrate Ukrainian grids into the European energy system.
One of the first stages will be the creation of a “digital twin” of the 110-35 kV network in Kyiv region.
Digital substation is not the only joint Ukrainian-French energy project
The construction of the digital substation is part of 19 key infrastructure projects approved this month in Paris under the Fund for Ukraine, an agreement between the governments of Ukraine and France aimed at restoring critical infrastructure, including the energy sector.
This €200 million fund was established in June 2024. The projects, which were selected by the Ukrainian side from approximately 70 applications, will be implemented by French companies together with Ukrainian partners.
The projects cover 5 strategic sectors: healthcare, energy, demining and fire safety, infrastructure, and water supply.
These projects will allow to
– Build new infrastructure for energy production worth more than €60 million;
– Supply new medical equipment, in particular for those wounded in the war;
– Provide the relevant Ukrainian structures with innovative demining equipment;
– Restore housing and critical infrastructure, particularly in the water sector.
the 19 winners will receive support from French companies already present in Ukraine, as well as assistance from many other French institutions.
