As a result of constant Russian bombardment, electrical and heating outages have swept through Ukrainian communities, hampering their ability to conduct daily life, run businesses, and operate infrastructure. In the cold of winter, rapid restoration of heat and power is key to keeping Ukrainians warm and critical infrastructure running. Cogeneration units (CGUs), equipment that provides heat and electricity during power outages, have become an essential solution for several Ukrainian communities, including in Rivne Oblast. Three district heating companies in the oblast and their energy specialists can supply uninterrupted heat to their communities thanks to CGUs provided by the United States Agency for International Development through the Energy Security Project (USAID ESP). This allows residents to work and conduct their daily lives and allows the children to go to school. The CGUs also make it possible for medical facilities to stay open.
Eight cogeneration units delivered by USAID ESP operate at district heating companies in Rivne Oblast. Thanks to equipment that simultaneously produces heat for consumers and electricity to power boiler houses and, in some cases, critical infrastructure nearby, thousands of residents of the Rivne region are provided with heat. This is extremely important during emergency outages caused by Russian shelling of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The ninth unit is scheduled to be launched in the oblast by the end of this year.
In early December, community utility company Zdolbunivkommunenergia of the Zdolbuniv City Council installed two CGUs with a total capacity of 400 kW f each. The equipment can provide continuous heat supply to nearly 7,000 residents in 64 apartment buildings and 13 public facilities, including two secondary schools and two kindergartens.
Maria Derhacheva and Olena Hordiychuk, whose children study at one of the schools, are grateful for the installed equipment’s uninterrupted heat supply. Children can continue studying, even during blackouts or boiler room shutdowns.
Vasyl Samchuk, head of the city hospital’s surgical department, and Lyudmila Kozhedub, head of the outpatient department, say that a stable heat supply ensures that doctors can provide treatment in warm rooms, which benefits both staff and patients.
Vitalii Herman, Director of Zdolbunivkomunenergia: “We received the CGUs and installed them at two large district heating boiler houses that provide heat for apartment buildings, schools, kindergartens, state territorial bodies, and local government agencies. This is very significant assistance. By equipping boiler houses with CGUs, we can continue providing heat during emergency outages caused by Russia’s attacks on the Ukrainian energy system,” says Mr. Herman. “This includes light and heat homes, the opportunity to study and socialize for children, the opportunity to provide social services, and much more.”
Residents – Roman Kobryn, Oleksandr Horobyuk, and Inna Korolkova – are happy they no longer need additional electric heaters.
Three additional CGUs, with a total capacity of 700 kW of electricity and 1,200 kW of heat per hour, are being operated by the heat supply company in the city of Dubno. “Our company was one of the first in Ukraine to install and commission CGUs provided by USAID Energy Security Project. We are now fully operating three CGUs, and we plan to connect another unit by the end of this year. Thus, all our municipal boiler houses will be reinforced with powerful CGUs that will fully meet their electricity needs,” explained Petro Rukher, director of the local energy utility, Dubnokomunenergia. Because of Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, power outages in Dubno lasted up to 12 hours a day. However, with the help of the CGUs provided by USAID, the company can supply reliable heat to several thousand residents in apartment buildings, educational institutions, public facilities (including a maternity hospital), and businesses.
“With the improvement of the heating system, the classrooms are now much warmer, which creates comfortable conditions for children to study,” says Oksana Gulida, director of the school. “The children feel better and get sick less, and we can hold classes in full without reductions or switching to remote learning temperature drops.”
Petro Rukher is also grateful for the assistance from USAID ESP. He is confident that, through joint efforts, his organization will survive the most challenging heating season in Ukraine’s independent history.
In the city of Rivne itself, three USAID ESP CGUs with a total capacity of 2.66 MW are helping the city’s district heating company operate independently and provide a stable supply of electricity to the largest boiler houses in Rivne, thus relieving the load on the city’s power grid. The installed cogeneration equipment allows the utility to provide heat to more than 100,000 residents in 333 apartment buildings, along with 15 kindergartens, 25 schools, and 14 medical institutions, and to save the company’s resources through combined heat and power generation by reducing natural gas consumption and lowering the cost of heat energy.
Background:
USAID ESP supports local utility companies in providing a stable heat supply during the heating season, critical power infrastructure during emergency power outages, and developinging distributed cogeneration.
From October 2023 to December 2024, USAID ESP transferred 109 CGUs to 34 cities and 2 universities in Ukraine. Once commissioned, these units will provide stable heat to more than 1,6 million residents of apartment buildings and more than 1,600 public facilities.
This is part of USAID’s more extensive assistance to local communities to support continuous and efficient district heating in Ukraine.