“A Monument to Good Intentions”: Why Hundreds of Cogeneration Plants in Ukraine Are Not Operating
21 January 18:36
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Due to constant Russian shelling of centralized facilities (thermal power plants, combined heat and power plants), the government has decided to support the decentralization of Ukraine’s power grid. But problems have arisen so far—it is not possible to quickly connect even existing gas and diesel generators, cogeneration modules, gas turbine and gas piston units, and energy storage systems. And businesses, which have long sought energy independence, especially during blackouts, have been the first to face this issue. And as "Komersant Ukrainian", there are quite a few.
As reported by Cabinet Chair Yulia Svyrydenko, one of the key tasks now is to expand distributed generation across the country by all possible means and as quickly as possible. This is an additional tool for the country’s energy resilience. Therefore, the government continues to provide full support for the launch of all facilities.
The Prime Minister noted that they are listening to businesses facing challenges in connecting alternative energy sources to ensure uninterrupted operations. She suggested that in case of difficulties, businesses should contact the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine by filling out a form on the “Pulse” online platform.
There is a desire, but no opportunity
As emphasized in a comment
“You can’t fix everything with just a desire or ‘manual’ control. ‘Manual’ control replaces the system, and the system wants to manually change the situation. The solution seems right, but it doesn’t work that way. Well, if we’ve decided to help businesses get connected, let’s look at the laws that regulate this and amend them. The ideas are sound, but the problem lies in implementation,” the expert believes.
Business wants stability. Generators are expensive. Gas piston units are a suitable solution, and we need to think about how to install them. Even today, connections to gas and electricity take six months or more.
“We have a huge number of gas piston units that haven’t been commissioned and aren’t being connected for various reasons. And the reasons vary widely: in some places it’s not possible, in others they want money, and so on,” emphasizes Oleg Popenko.
Incidentally, MP and former Minister of Housing and Utilities Oleksiy Kucherenko considers the government’s initiative to be a good one, but points out that the government needs to carefully examine the nuances of pricing in the energy sector and heat supply in particular.
“An uncontrolled and unregulated process of cogeneration development will inevitably lead to higher heating rates,” the MP believes.
A Monument to Good Intentions
According to Mykola Kolomiychenko, head of the NGO “Center for Sustainable Development Strategy,” a real problem has arisen today regarding the commissioning of cogeneration plants (CCPs). Although they are available in the country, only a small portion is currently operational.
According to the expert’s calculations, a total of approximately 180–200 cogeneration plants—ranging from 200–400 kW micro-CHP plants to 2–4 MW facilities—are physically located in Ukraine under various programs (humanitarian, donor, municipal, and state programs). In reality, about 80–85 CHP plants have been commissioned, which is less than 50% of those available.
“Everything else is sitting on its foundation, assembled but not commissioned, connected to the heat network but not to the power grid, or ‘there’s an acceptance certificate, but the button hasn’t been pressed,’” notes Mykola Kolomiychenko.
The average electrical capacity of a single CHP unit is 0.9–1.2 MW. The total installed electrical capacity of the delivered CHP units is about 170–190 MW, while the actual operating capacity is about 75–85 MW. This is equivalent to one average TPP power unit, but “spread out” across the country—which is strategically sound but critically insufficient.
The thermal capacity of cogeneration is always higher. The average coefficient is 1.3–1.6 MW of heat per 1 MW of electrical power. The total thermal capacity of the delivered CHP units is approximately 240–280 MW. In reality, about 110–130 MW is actually in use. This heat is enough for approximately 150–180 thousand apartments or the critical infrastructure of a medium-sized city.
Reasons why they are not working:
- Lack of design: The CHP units were delivered before the connection design was available; no hydraulic systems; no backup schemes; no operational mode calculations.
- Electrical work is the main bottleneck. Connecting the heat is easier. But when it comes to parallel operation with the grid, relay protection, automatic transfer switches (ATS), relay protection and automation (RPA), and coordination—this is where most municipal utilities “fell short.”
- There is no one to start up the CHP units. This requires specialists such as an engineer, an automation specialist, a power engineer, and a service team. Communities often have just one electrician and two plumbers.
- There aren’t enough funds to start it up.
“Ukraine got cogeneration, but didn’t get the system to put it into operation. We have hundreds of megawatts of potential, tens of megawatts of actual output, and a massive gap between them. This isn’t a technical problem. It’s a managerial and organizational disaster,” emphasizes Mykola Kolomiychenko.
What needed to be done and must be done immediately:
- Standard connection projects.
- Centralized installation and commissioning teams.
- A single standard for integrating CHP plants into heating networks.
- A startup fund, not just procurement.
Because a CHP plant that isn’t operating isn’t a reserve. It’s a monument to good intentions…
Experts believe the government’s statement signals two things:
- They understand that simply delivering generators isn’t enough; they need to ensure they work.
- They are creating a simplified communication channel—the “Pulse” platform—where businesses can directly report specific obstacles when connecting their generators. This is an attempt to “sort out” the situation manually and remove administrative barriers. The main thing is that it makes a difference.
Author: Alla Dunina
