Ukraine may abandon gas for heating next year
By the next heating season, Ukraine plans to completely abandon the use of natural gas for heating, and Zhytomyr demonstrates positive experience in this direction.
Yuriy Vitrenko, chairman of the board of Naftogaz of Ukraine, told about this at a briefing in Zhytomyr, Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Zhytomyr’s experience shows that in some cases it is possible to switch from natural gas to heating, for example, to biomass, garbage, before the next heating season. In addition to learning from this positive experience, we are working with the city of Zhytomyr on three projects that prevent the production of heat and electricity from biomass. In this case, it is biomass and RDF (waste fuel, solid secondary fuel, in fact – household garbage – ed.). It is economically and ecologically beneficial”, Vitrenko shared.
According to him, we are talking about the construction of three CHP plants in Zhytomyr, which operate on RDF and Tristy. Their total capacity is 50 megawatts.
“We attract to this cost from international partners. Such projects are technically and economically justified and help to make sure that in the future all energy will happen. We also have to realize ourselves how important it is to switch from natural gas to biomass, alternative sources, heat pumps as soon as possible. Because at the market price of gas, the payback period for such projects is 2-3 months,” Vitrenko explained.
According to him, his “Naftogaz” will more economically help launch such projects now than importing gas even in this heating season.
“We want to install equipment that will then work for many years on local raw materials, which is the development of local business and the creation of jobs,” added the head of the NAC.
Vitrenko noted that currently the state is 90% ready for the heating season. 13.9 billion cubic meters of gas are stored in underground gas storages. In the western countries of Ukraine, gas production is currently being increased, and in the eastern countries, it is being stabilized, in particular, at the expense of liberated territories.
As reported by Ukrinform, a CHP plant was built in Zhytomyr last year, which runs on waste from the woodworking industry and provides heat to 73 apartment buildings.