Cherkasy Plans to Double the Capacity of Cogeneration Plants to Meet Half of the City's Electricity Needs

Cherkasy, a city that has become a witness to the full-scale invasion, is actively working on enhancing its energy infrastructure. Pavel Karas, the director of the municipal enterprise 'Cherkasyteplokomunenergo', stated that the city plans to double the capacity of its cogeneration plants (CGPs), which currently meet approximately 20% of Cherkasy's electricity demand. This decision is part of the city's strategy aimed at increasing energy independence and resilience in the context of war.

Currently, Cherkasy has about 20 cogeneration plants with a total capacity exceeding 20 MW. These plants are interconnected within a single network, allowing them to operate in island mode during blackouts and ensuring the functioning of the city's critical infrastructure. 'We provide electricity for about 20% of Cherkasy's consumption,' Karas noted in an interview with the online portal EnergoReform.

It is important to highlight that all cogeneration plants are owned by the territorial community. Five of them were acquired through a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, one plant was purchased with funds from the city council, and the remaining plants were received from international donors such as USAID and GIZ. The connection of these plants to the network was carried out by 'Cherkasyteplokomunenergo'.

Pavel Karas emphasized that the city intends to install approximately as much capacity in cogeneration plants as it currently possesses. 'Several trucks are already on their way to us, and some more are ordered. We plan to install about the same number of plants as we currently have. Our mayor has set the task of increasing total generation from 20% to about half of Cherkasy's consumption. This will allow us to look to the future with confidence,' explained the director of 'Cherkasyteplokomunenergo'.

Karas also clarified that the development of cogeneration plants in Cherkasy began back in 2004, but it was during the war that such an extensive network was established. 'This has yielded fundamental results. There have been no disruptions in heating supply in Cherkasy, despite the severe electricity outages, which have been among the harshest. But we had heating and hot water. This led to approximately 30,000 families relocating from Kyiv to Cherkasy during this winter,' the director of TKE shared.

He also expressed the belief that the primary reason for significant heating supply disruptions in Kyiv following Russian attacks this winter is the lack of distributed generation. 'We consciously built distributed generation in Cherkasy to protect our territorial community. In fact, we are the only city in Ukraine that has fully implemented the president's plan regarding such construction,' Karas noted.

However, despite the positive news, challenges remain. The director of 'Cherkasyteplokomunenergo' pointed out that the government's cancellation of preferential gas for electricity producers starting April 1 threatens the further development of cogeneration. The Cabinet of Ministers amended Resolution No. 222, abolishing preferential gas for electricity generation, leaving it only for six months for frontline areas. This has led to 'Cherkasyteplokomunenergo' announcing a forced shutdown of its cogeneration plants and halting electricity generation, as the enterprise lacks the ability to purchase gas on the market due to the absence of a mechanism for such purchases.

In an interview with EnergoReform, Karas emphasized that heat producers are ready to operate in the market, but clear mechanisms and fair conditions are needed for this. This issue remains relevant, as the energy security of the city and its residents depends on the stability of cogeneration plants' operations.