The harsh winter of 2023 presented the city of Ladyzhyn with an extremely challenging task – to address an energy crisis provoked by the rocket shelling of the local power plant from an aggressor country. The damage inflicted on the power plant prompted the city to seek alternative solutions. Today, we will be speaking with the Secretary of the Ladyzhyn City Council and Acting Mayor of Ladyzhyn, Oleksandr Kolomiiets, about the energy transformation of the Ladyzhyn urban community in the context of current challenges and achievements.
First question: Given the damage to the Ladyzhyn Thermal Power Plant due to shelling, has the city been able to meet all its energy needs this fall and winter?
OK: Good day. Yes, the city has managed to meet minimal heating requirements thanks to the construction of alternative heat sources – boiler houses that have been connected to the city’s heating system. A series of strategic steps have been taken to ensure the system’s resilience even in the event of the power plant being shut down.
Are there plans to gradually phase out coal energy and implement new renewable energy technologies?
OK: Yes, we are actively working on these issues. We participated in the “Just Transition 2023: Multilevel National Dialogue” event held in Kyiv as part of the “Supporting structural change in Ukrainian coal regions” project, where plans for transforming coal regions and implementing new technologies were discussed. We also collaborate with other communities and regions to exchange experiences and find optimal solutions.
The RePower Ukraine Charitble Foundation is implementing the project “Evaluating Solar Potential for Municipal Facilities in Ladyzhyn City”. How will the city be able to utilize this data and recommendations for the optimal placement of solar panels and thermal collectors?
OK: Certainly, the city is interested in the development of solar energy. Since the installation of PV plants is a costly process, it is crucial to ensure the efficient use of funds. To achieve this, a number of technical issues need to be addressed, with the correct project decisions being based on accurately collected initial data. Therefore, recommendations regarding the optimal placement of solar panels and thermal collectors are extremely important.
What are the economic challenges facing the city in connection with energy transformation?
OK: We face significant challenges because the Ladyzhyn Thermal Power Plant has created certain conditions for the further existence of the energy infrastructure. However, understanding that the Ladyzhyn Thermal Power Plant may cease heat supply at any moment, we have developed a scheme for the city’s heating supply and have it approved by the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine. Currently, we are working towards attracting investments for the construction of new heat supply sources to fully meet the city’s needs. Alternative heat supply sources should also provide cogeneration of electricity. These decisions are steps towards sustainable and efficient energy for our community.
The initiative “Evaluating Solar Potential for Municipal Facilities in Ladyzhyn City” is being carried out within the project “New Energy – Facilitating Dialogue for Sustainable Development of Ukrainian Coal Regions”, implemented by partner organisations Germanwatch, the Centre for Environmental Initiatives “Ecoaction”, and the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Centre “Alternative” with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
