How Romania can play a “crucial role” in restoring Ukraine's energy system, hit by bombings: “Each component can help keep the light on in homes and hospitals”
Romania is among the few countries that have equipment compatible with the Ukrainian energy sector, hit hard by Russia's attacks. This is why DTEK, the largest private energy company in Ukraine, wants to buy equipment from decommissioned power plants in our country.
- In recent years, Romania has decommissioned thousands of power plants, especially coal-based ones. Former relevant minister Sebastian Burduja said that, in the period 2009-2022, Romania closed energy capacities of 7,000 MW based on coal and gas, located especially in the Jiului Valley and Oltenia.
In early November, Russia launched one of the most powerful attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, destroying several power plants and substations that supplied the population with electricity and heat. Representatives of the Ukrainian energy sector are now looking for solutions for the winter.
Romania can play an essential role in restoring the production capacity of these power plants, considering that it is one of the few countries that have stocks of energy production equipment compatible with those of Ukraine, representatives of the Ukrainian company DTEK told HotNews.
“Romania's support can make a real and immediate difference”
“As Ukraine prepares for another difficult winter, our most urgent task, along with strengthening air defenses and securing emergency funding, is to find the spare parts and equipment needed to keep our power plants running.
Here, Romania can play a crucial role. Many of Romania's decommissioned power plants have equipment compatible with the Ukrainian energy system. We focus on purchasing items such as various types of transformers, pumps, cables and parts for turbines and generators. Each component can contribute to restoring production capacity and keeping the lights on in Ukrainian homes and hospitals,” Oleksiy Povolotskiy, head of DTEK's Energy Infrastructure Restoration Office, told HotNews.
He said that DTEK representatives are already in discussions with companies and government institutions in Romania to make this possible.
“For security reasons, we cannot divulge the names of the partners involved, but cooperation is ongoing. Romania's support can make a real and immediate difference, helping Ukraine withstand the coming winter,” Povolotskiy emphasized.
Ukraine's energy system, severely affected by recent attacks. Generating capacity has “dropped to zero”, an official in the field announces
In early November, a massive Russian attack, described by Ukrainian media as the strongest on the energy sector since the beginning of the war, cut off electricity, heat and water supplies in several Ukrainian cities. Including the capital city of Kiev, there was a power outage of more than 12 hours.
According to Ukrainian media, 80% of DTEK power plants were destroyed by the war. The company operated, before the war, power plants with a total capacity of about 8,000 MW, most of them coal-fired. On its website, the company states that its power plants have been hit more than 210 times since the start of the war.
Overall, 70% of Ukraine's total energy production was destroyed by the war.
What the Bucharest authorities say about the demands of Ukraine
“Ever since the outbreak of the conflict, the Ministry of Energy has forwarded the requests for equipment (received via the secretariat of the European Commissioner for Energy/ the G7 Group/ Embassy of Ukraine in Bucharest) to the economic operators in the energy sector, in order to identify the possibilities of support”, according to a response from the Ministry of Energy, to HotNews' request.
Regarding the aid given to Ukraine in the form of energy, the institution states that, based on a bilateral agreement for emergency situations signed between Transelectrica and Ukrenergo (the Ukrainian transmission and system operator), our country responded to all emergency aid requests from Ukrenergo.
This, given that there were sufficient amounts of energy and reserves in the Romanian system and the operational safety of the national energy system was not affected.
Romania exported energy to Ukraine at a higher price than it imported
“The export of electricity to Ukraine was carried out on commercial, price-based principles only, with all quantities granted under the Bilateral Emergency Assistance Agreement being paid for by the Ukrainian transmission and system operator.
According to Transelectrica's clarifications, the provision of electricity in emergency situations was achieved without impact on Romania's energy security, the supply of Romanian consumers not being affected”, the Ministry of Energy's response also states.
According to the National Institute of Statistics data provided to HotNews, in the first half of last year Romania exported 427,000 MWh to Ukraine, worth 50.3 million euros, which means 117 euros/MWh. But Romania also imported energy from the neighboring country, namely 46,000 MWh, with 3 million euros, i.e. 65 euros/MWh.
In recent years, Romania has decommissioned thousands of power plants, especially coal-based ones. Former relevant minister Sebastian Burduja said that, in the period 2009-2022, Romania closed energy capacities of 7,000 MW based on coal and gas, located especially in the Jiului Valley and Oltenia.
