dtek.com
Kryvyi Rih thermal power plant (TPP) in Dnipropetrovsk region, which is part of Rinat Akhmetov’s DTEK, the country’s largest private energy holding, was temporarily halted to ensure accumulation of coal reserves, the holding's press service reported.
"The operation of DTEK Kryvyi Rih TPP was halted tonight. It has not received fuel since February because of the coal supplies blockade. The plant’s single unit has been operating for as long as possible to provide central heating to 14,000 residents of the town of Zelenodolsk up to the end of the heating season. Kryvyi Rih TPP will be able to restore its operations only after the coal is supplied to the plant," the report said.
Some 30,000 tonnes of coal remains now at Kryvyi Rih TPP stockpile, which is a mandatory required reserve of fuel in case of emergency in the United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU). "The TPP will be able to start operations at the command of the energy system operator. Kryvyi Rih TPP, as well as Prydniprovska TPP, compensate for the power of the Dnipro energy center during repairs at Zaporizhia NPP," the press service said.
Read alsoDonbasenergo loses control of Starobeshivska TPP in occupied DonbasIt is reported that during the forced shutdown of Kryvyi Rih TPP, the employees are involved in repairing necessary equipment. In addition, the reconstruction of one of the power units is being. DTEK's power engineers should finish their work by the mid-summer. In general, two renewed power units at Kryvyi Rih TPP are expected to be ready for the next heating season.
As UNIAN reported, on April 6, 2017, the state-owned company Centrenergo halted the work of Zmiivska thermal power plant (Kharkiv region). Earlier, on April 5, 2017, the company suspended operations of Tripilska TPP (Kyiv region). Moreover, DTEK temporarily halted the operation of Prydniprovska TPP (Dnipropetrovsk region).
Such actions stemmed directly from fact that fighting in the eastern regions of Ukraine had caused a significant shortage of coal, primarily that of thermal anthracite group produced in militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The shortage of coal affects operations of power plants, which are forced to reduce production capacity. For the stable operation of the energy grid, deficient anthracite coal used to be imported from South Africa.
However, the issue of coal shipments to thermal power plants became critical after the launch of a trade blockade with the occupied areas in late January 2017 and the decision by the National Security and Defense Council of March 15, 2017 to stop cargo turnover with uncontrolled territories. What is more, DTEK's power holding lost control in mid-March over its units that operate in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, namely DTEK Rovenkyantracit, DTEK Sverdlovantracit, and DTEK Komsomolets Donbasa.