The centralized heating system, which provides warmth to most apartment buildings in Ukrainian cities, may become a thing of the past. Experts urge Ukrainians to gradually transition to autonomous heating systems, as this aligns with modern energy challenges and global trends.
This is reported by Finway
Why Ukraine is Recommended to Switch to Autonomous Heating
According to Andriy Kobolyev, former head of Naftogaz of Ukraine and advisor to Baker Hughes Energy Ukraine, it is strategically important to move away from large centralized energy facilities, such as CHP plants, and implement decentralized, autonomous generating capacities. The expert believes that the transition to such systems should begin now to adapt to new conditions in time.
Kobolyev notes that the concept of implementing autonomous heating systems was developed two decades ago, but its realization in Ukraine has not yet occurred. Meanwhile, according to the expert’s calculations, retrofitting five thousand old Soviet-era “Khrushchyovkas” for autonomous heating will cost approximately 1.5 billion euros.
“As the former head of Naftogaz emphasizes, this is indeed a solution that can be implemented in Ukraine within a more or less realistic timeframe.”
Experiences of Ukrainian and Global Cities in Abandoning Centralized Heating
Uzhhorod completely abandoned centralized heating several years ago and closed its municipal CHP plant. Now, the city operates large but decentralized heating systems for apartment buildings, and autonomous heating is widely used in apartments.
Similar paths have been taken by cities abroad. In particular, in Berlin, several thousand buildings were switched from old systems to modern individual heating solutions within a year. This demonstrates that transitioning to autonomous systems is possible in a short timeframe and ensures greater energy independence and efficiency.