Zheleznyak announced 1.1 GW of unused electricity generation: what hinders the launch

People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak stated that a significant part of the new gas generation in Ukraine is not operational despite the equipment purchased or received from partners. Among the reasons, he mentioned unpredictable operating conditions, debts, and issues with military risk insurance. He reported this on his YouTube channel.

Gas generation in Ukraine: what capacities Zheleznyak mentioned

According to the assessment provided by the deputy based on industry representatives, out of the declared 1.8 GW of new generation, about 700 MW are actually operational, producing electricity and thermal energy and synchronized with the grid. The difference is approximately 1.1 GW.

At the same time, the July report from the Ministry of Energy referred to 1.8 GW of installed distributed gas generation based on regional data. The installation of equipment and its actual operation are different indicators. Therefore, the given comparison requires verification based on consistent criteria and on a specific date.

Zheleznyak proposed conducting an audit of the capacities: determining what equipment is already operational, what remains unconnected, and what solutions are needed to launch each installation.

The first obstacle he mentioned was the changing conditions for gas supply. According to the deputy, after the revision of the rules in March 2026, some projects lost access to the special price. This changed investors’ calculations, who had already purchased equipment or obtained credits.

The economy of installations is also affected by price limitations on electricity. As Zheleznyak explains, the industry is requesting a predictable gas price for one to three years to plan costs and profitability.

Launching energy installations: debts, military risks, and maintenance

The second block of problems concerns safety and calculations in the energy market. The deputy provided estimates of debts: about 47 billion UAH owed by market participants to Ukrenergo and almost 37 billion UAH owed by companies to market participants.

According to his explanation, producers must purchase gas in advance, but payments for electricity can be delayed. This creates a need for additional working capital even for technically ready installations.

Separately, Zheleznyak emphasized the risk of equipment destruction due to Russian strikes. He supports the creation of a military risk insurance fund and reported that the corresponding budget amendment has been supported in the first reading. This does not yet mean that the fund itself is being launched.

The third problem the deputy named was the preparation of communities for the operation of the equipment transferred by partners. According to him, there are still unresolved issues regarding connection, responsibility for installations, and their maintenance. There is also a lack of trained specialists.

Therefore, launching requires not only the delivery of equipment. It is necessary to determine the operator, ensure fuel supply, connection, maintenance, and financing of operations. The state of each such project should be checked separately by the deputy.

Zheleznyak urged not to postpone the launch of already existing installations while simultaneously planning the next heating seasons. In a broader context, international energy assistance should result in the actual operation of the equipment, not just the number of capacities received or installed.