Heating Crisis Grips Kyiv
Critical damage to the Darnytsia Thermal Power Plant (TPP), caused by a Russian attack on February 3, has left over 1,100 buildings in Kyiv without heating. The plant's owner, Euro-Reconstruction LLC, has stated that even a partial restoration of the heating supply will take a minimum of two months. Electricity generation at the facility has been completely halted and cannot be restored in the short term.
Assessing the Damage to Darnytsia TPP
The Darnytsia plant has a capacity of approximately 200 MW. Expert assessments suggest the repair timeline could range from six months to three years, with costs estimated between 100 and 700 million euros. This attack is part of a wider Russian campaign targeting Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure.
- 1,170 Kyiv buildings will be without central heating for the remainder of this year.
- Full repairs could take anywhere from six months to three years.
- The estimated cost for restoration ranges from 100 to 700 million euros.
“The situation with the Darnytsia TPP is clear. Everyone now understands that 1,170 buildings in Kyiv will not have heat this year.”
Oleksandr Kharchenko, Director of the Energy Research Center
Volodymyr Omelchenko, Director of Energy Programmes at the Razumkov Centre, confirmed that this heating season will conclude without the plant being restored. He stated that a realistic timeline for partial restoration is at least six months, with a full recovery potentially taking two to three years.
“This heating season – there will be no restoration.”
Volodymyr Omelchenko, Director of Energy Programmes at the Razumkov Centre
Oleh Popenko, Head of the Union of Consumers of Utility Services, provided a cost estimate for building a new plant at 400-500 thousand euros per 1 MW, totaling around 100 million euros. He estimated that constructing a new TPP or replacing its capacity could take five to seven years, emphasizing that building a new Darnytsia plant from scratch would require ordering new equipment and developing a completely new project concept.
Serhiy Nahorniak, a member of the Verkhovna Rada's Energy Committee, expressed hope that all damaged Kyiv thermal power plants would be restored before the start of the next heating season. He noted that while 92 mobile gas turbine power plants (UCTE) were imported to Ukraine in 2023, only about half of their capacity has been installed. The technical state of the Darnytsia TPP remains critical, with precise repair timelines and total damages still being assessed.
The loss of heating for over 1,100 buildings underscores the severe impact of Russian attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure. During winter, this crisis poses a direct threat to residents' well-being. While authorities and experts are evaluating various recovery scenarios, the timelines and costs remain highly uncertain, highlighting the urgent need for accelerated restoration efforts to mitigate further social and economic hardship.