visited the Ukrainian electricity distribution station to which Russia has struck 11 times during the war.
Kiev The Ukrainian electricity distribution station has heavy security measures. There are two inspection points on the road leading and a nearby field has an anti -aircraft system. Shooting is only allowed at certain angles and the location must not be revealed.
Security measures are understandable as Russia has hit 11 times during the war.
Therefore, the employees of the UKrenergo company, which manages the station, are skeptical on Tuesday’s promise that Russia will not hit Ukraine’s energy infrastructure over the next 30 days.
– For the last three years we have lived in a situation where we expect the next massive expression every night. I am a pragmatist in this matter: I only believe in the promise when it is realized, says the chairman of the Ukrenergy Board Oleks Breht.
Also, the station’s relay protection engineer Oleksandr Maljun Does not trust Russia’s promise.
– If they look at their promises since 2014, everything has happened.
Maljun was in turn when Russia hit the substation for the first time in October 2022.
Instead, the substation suffered several damage. There was a missile in the building and the electricity distribution was broken for more than a day.
After each stroke, the damage has been repaired and after a short break the substation has been restarted.
Several protective measures
Ukrenergo has 95 electricity distribution stations, 62 of which have been damaged during the Russian offensive war. In three years, Russia has made more than 45 extensive strokes in Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The substation seen by EPN receives electricity from three production facilities, including the Kiev hydropower plant, and distributes it to one and a and a half to one and a half to one hundred households.
The main building of the station is now protected by external metal structures. The surrounding area has been fitted with a support structure that is filled with stone crushed.
“We have a total of 200 kilometers of protective frames, which have been filled with 600,000 tonnes of loose materials,” says Breht, Chairman of the Board of Ukrennergo.
Particularly vulnerable are automatic transformers, whose high -voltage throughput insulation on the ceiling is the first to receive damage to the air.
The electricity distribution station that was able to visit has received 30 lead -through insulations from Iceland as a donation. If necessary, they can be installed in place of the damaged.
A targeted green transition
The effectiveness of the energy system can also be ensured in a way other than physically protection.
One of the means is the system diversification. Then the power generation and distribution will move to the ever smaller units to the local level.
Electricity storage solutions have also been developed. For example, a Finnish Cactos company has installed a acoustics of approximately 130 kilowatt-hours in Kiev for DTKE’s energy group.
Another way is to switch to renewable energy sources. This is a big role in UNDP.
It supports the increase in the share of solar, wind, hydrogen and biogas energy in Ukraine’s energy production and commits other countries to help Ukraine.
– We are already in cooperation with Norway, Denmark and Iceland and expect Finland to join, says Ylelle UNDP’s Green Transition Program Director Julija Rybak.
However, the transition to renewable energy and diversification of energy sources are long processes. Ukraine’s energy system needs protection immediately.
On Wednesday night, Russia once again made an extensive expressiveness of, among other things, energy infrastructure – right after the Russian promise had not done so.
– About 20,000 customers were left without electricity. It was restored to them in the morning, but we have to repair some damage for several months, says Oleks Breht, Director of UkrenGo.