Ukraine's DTEK Energy fully ready for heating season - CEO

MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax) - DTEK Energy is entering the heating season completely prepared, having restored eight generating units at thermal power plants, de-mothballed another two and completed scheduled maintenance on 20 units, Ukrainian media reported, citing the power company's CEO Ildar Saleyev.

"We additionally de-mothballed two generating units. That added 500 MW to the energy system's capacity," he said on social media.

He said DTEK Energy plans to repair a total of 27 generating units this year, nearly doubling spending on scheduled maintenance year-on-year to UAH3.9 billion.

The company has also stockpiled a reserve of 170 pieces of critical equipment worth UAH1.3 billion and 224 powerful generators to serve as backup power for thermal power plants and mines.

Saleyev also said that the company has doubled investment in coal mining to UAH7.4 billion this year. In its preparations for winter, the company put 21 new coal mine faces into operation and plans to launch another five by the end of the year.

"We are also building up an additional safety cushion for winter, for which we are importing coal," Saleyev said, adding that deliveries from Poland have now reached 53,000 tonnes and are expected to total 210,000 tonnes in the fall and winter season.

The official exchange rate was UAH36.37/$1 on October 31.