Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and extensive bombing have damaged district heating networks. USAID, via its Energy Security Project (ESP), procured and installed a new modular wood-fired boiler house in Berizka kindergarten in the village of Liudvynivka in the Kyiv oblast. This aid worth about $100,000 allows 25 children and 13 staff members to attend a heated kindergarten this winter.
USAID provided a block modular solid fuel-fired boiler house that includes electrotechnical equipment, two 30-kW boilers, smokestacks, a drainless chemical water treatment system, a pump, a smoke extractor, a cyclone-dust collector, and a manualy-fed fuel supply system. The boiler is automated and adaptable to changing fuel types, which allows technical specialists to control combustion and ensure continued high energy efficiency. Using heating systems with solid fuel helps consumers save a significant amount of money (up to 60 percent compared to gas use).
Solid fuel boilers are highly energy efficient and among the best alternatives to gas heating. They allow suppliers and consumers to minimize gas consumption, which is necessary given Ukraine’s limited capacity to use domestic natural gas reserves. Replacing gas with solid fuel boilers is a step towards diversifying heating sources and strengthening the country’s energy security.