A modern and decentralized energy system will be created in Ukraine
19 December 08:49
The International Energy Agency has presented a new report to the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine with recommendations for creating a decentralized and modern energy system in Ukraine. This was reported by the Ministry of Energy, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
The report of the International Energy Agency identifies key steps that will allow Ukraine to increase the resilience of the energy system and ensure its flexibility in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.
In particular, seven recommendations are proposed to create a decentralized and modern energy system in Ukraine by 2030. Among them:
– improving the regulatory framework,
– reforming electricity markets,
– strengthening coordination at the transmission and distribution levels.
The report also emphasizes the need to develop distributed generation, regional energy solutions, and strengthen coordination between government, business, and communities.
According to the International Energy Agency, Ukraine should work to meet not only current electricity needs, but also plan for the future.
The report emphasizes that a decentralized energy system, including the increased use of rooftop solar panels, wind farms, battery systems, and small modular gas turbines, can reduce the impact of attacks on the grid and contribute to Ukraine’s long-term energy security and decarbonization goals.
“Distributed generation, gas turbines, cogeneration, and renewable energy – including solar, wind, and geothermal – are key elements of the resilience of our power system. The Government-approved Strategy for the Development of Distributed Generation until 2035 allows us to focus on these areas,” said Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Roman Andarak.
He said that the Ministry also actively cooperates with communities, helping to implement solutions at the local level. According to him, the developed “energy passports of the regions” will help determine consumption, connection possibilities and methods of energy distribution within the regions. In addition, an important role is assigned to the introduction of smart grids and financial instruments for businesses and households.
What is distributed generation?
Distributed generation is an energy supply system where electricity is generated from local sources in close proximity to the consumer. This approach improves energy security, reduces dependence on central grids, and makes the city more resilient to possible power outages.
Today, distributed generation facilities are those that use renewable energy sources (small solar, wind, and hydroelectric power plants) and cogeneration plants (when electricity and heat are produced simultaneously, including, in particular, plants that burn biomass, solid waste, and natural gas).
The advantages of distributed power generation include, among other things, lower vulnerability to massive missile attacks – a damaged small power plant can be quickly replaced by another.
Another advantage is that small power plants have a much longer service life and better economic performance than generators. The installation of a network of several small power plants does not require significant time compared to the installation of conventional large thermal power plants, and the operation of distributed generation facilities can be carried out using the existing staff of utility companies.
According to Andriy Gerus, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities, scaling up such distributed generation projects across Ukraine will increase the resilience and flexibility of the United Energy System and will be a step towards European standards in the energy sector.
What kind of distributed generation is being created in Kyiv?
The Ukrainian capital has adopted the concept of Energy Recovery: the Way to Distributed Cogeneration, which provides for the installation of local sources of combined heat and power generation using alternative fuels. A month ago, for example, Kyiv launched the first 1.5 MW gas piston cogeneration unit, which became part of the distributed generation concept.
In general, the concept of energy recovery involves:
- Construction of six new CHP plants with a total capacity of 619 MW.
- Installing small cogeneration units with a capacity of 2.5 to 15 MW at the city’s main boiler houses.
- Purchase of 15 additional cogeneration units with a capacity of 3.3-4.5 MW, which will be delivered to Kyiv within a year.
These measures will provide a total additional capacity of about 170 MW per year, which will significantly increase the stability of the capital’s power system.
