DTEK Ukrainian energy holding invests 3.7 bln hryvni in distribution network repairs

MOSCOW. Aug 31 (Interfax) - Ukraine's DTEK energy holding has invested 3.7 billion hryvni in maintenance and repairs of the country's power distribution networks as part of preparations for the fall-winter season of 2023-2024, the company's executive director Dmitry Sakharuk said.

"A total of 3.7 billion hryvni has been invested in repairs of power distribution networks," Ukrainian media quoted Sakharuk as saying in remarks on the Priamyi television channel on Wednesday.

"We are examining 12,000 kilometers of power lines and are carrying out repairs if necessary. We are preparing more than 4,000 [electrical] substations and distribution stations for the winter," he said.

From 10,000 to 20,000 consumers have encountered daily power outages in the Kiev-controlled part of the Donetsk region which the DTEK Donetsk Grids operator is responsible for, Sakharuk said. Fifty to 60 repair brigades have been working non-stop in this area, trying to restore power supply to households as fast as possible, he said.

When commenting on the level of the holding's preparedness for the fall-winter season, the DTEK top manager said that the number of coal faces put into operation since June has reached 15, and 12 more are expected to enter into operation before the end of the year.

"Everything is going according to plan," Sakharuk said.

He confirmed the information earlier announced by DTEK that before the end of the year the company would finish maintenance of 27 units of thermal power plants, nine of which have already completed maintenance and another seven are undergoing it now. DTEK allocated 3.5 billion hryvni for maintenance and repairs at thermal power plants, and more than 2 billion hryvni of this amount has already been invested, Sakharuk said.

As many as 123 electrical substations of various voltage types have already been restored and provided with new equipment, accounting for half of the work planned for 2023, DTEK said on social media.

As reported earlier, DTEK Energo put 14 coal faces into operation in January-June. The company's target for 2023 is to make 27 coal faces operational.

DTEK Energo General Director Ildar Saleyev said in early July that the company would increase investments in maintenance and repairs at thermal power plants by 1.6-fold to 3.5 billion hryvni in 2023 year-on-year.