Schneider Electric has implemented a large-scale infrastructure project: 26 Ukrainian cities have received state-of-the-art equipment to improve the energy efficiency and operational reliability of their district heating systems.
Completing the project before the start of the 2025/2026 heating season allowed heating utilities to better prepare for peak loads. Thanks to the equipment provided, the cities were able to navigate the heating season more smoothly, reducing the risk of unscheduled outages and improving the overall efficiency of their systems.
As part of the project, Schneider Electric supplied control cabinets for pumps and blower mechanisms, equipped with state-of-the-art variable-frequency drives, to 26 cities in Ukraine across the Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Odesa, Kirovohrad, Kherson, Sumy, Poltava, and Kyiv regions.
A key element of the project was the implementation of variable-frequency drives to regulate the operation of pumping equipment at heat supply companies, which significantly improved the energy efficiency of the systems, reduced electricity consumption, optimized operating costs, and extended the service life of the equipment.
The solutions, based on Schneider Electric technologies, include fully equipped control cabinets for pumping equipment. The cabinets are protected against moisture and dust, allowing them to be installed directly in machine rooms, thereby reducing costs and simplifying installation.
The companies have gained tools for more flexible equipment management, reducing the load on the power grid, and improving the quality of heat supply services for consumers.
“This is not just about supplying equipment, but about a long-term investment in energy efficiency and the stability of heat supply in Ukraine. Already today, we are seeing how the implemented solutions are helping enterprises optimize energy consumption, improve system reliability, and lay the foundation for further modernization of the industry,” said Mykhailo Bubnov, CEO of Schneider Electric Ukraine.
The completed project serves as an example of collaboration aimed at implementing modern energy-efficient technologies and improving the operational efficiency of Ukraine’s utility companies.
Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy technologies that enhances efficiency and promotes sustainable development through the electrification, automation, and digitalization of industry, business, and residential spaces. The company’s technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and power grids to function as open, interconnected ecosystems, increasing productivity, resilience, and environmental sustainability. The company’s portfolio includes smart devices, software-defined architectures, artificial intelligence-based systems, digital services, and professional consulting services. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric consistently ranks among the world’s most sustainable companies.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY, EQUIPMENT, HEATING, MODERNIZATION, Schneider Electric
The State Emergency Service (SES) received 10 sets of equipment for emergency rescue operations from Germany, the SES reported on Tuesday.
“The equipment allows SES specialists to more quickly free people from under rubble and cut through metal structures and vehicles. This equipment will significantly enhance the capabilities of our units and help save many more lives,” said Volodymyr Demchuk, Deputy Head of the SES of Ukraine.
The equipment was purchased by the German government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
“This is an example of effective cooperation and a testament to the genuine partnership and friendship between Germany and Ukraine,” emphasized Katrin Buchholz, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Germany.
The equipment was provided as part of the project “Support for State and Municipal Emergency Management in Ukraine,” which is being implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and is part of the transition-period development assistance program.
This is not the first time the State Emergency Service has received assistance under this project, through which Ukrainian rescuers have been provided with modern technology and specialized equipment and have undergone training.
Ukrainian energy officials, together with European partners, have already inspected eight decommissioned combined heat and power plants in Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, and the Netherlands with the aim of potentially supplying the surplus equipment to Ukraine, said Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister for Energy.
According to him, equipment from European power facilities is already being used to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s power grid. The Ministry of Energy has carried out 199 shipments of equipment, which is now in operation at energy facilities in the Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Dnipropetrovsk, and other regions.
Lithuania has made the largest contribution to this effort. Through the Lithuanian energy company AB Ignitis Gamyba, Ukraine received 152 shipments of equipment. Another 41 shipments were delivered to Ukraine thanks to cooperation with the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant.
Germany is also providing support to Ukraine. Thanks to RWE Power AG, six shipments of equipment were delivered as part of the first phase of cooperation to companies in central and western Ukraine, Kyiv, and Kharkiv.
A separate initiative is currently underway with Latvia. According to Shmyhal, Ukraine is actively working to relocate equipment from the Riga CHPP-2.
“The facilities of interest to Ukrainian companies have already been identified. The amount and source of funds required to dismantle the relevant equipment have also been determined,” the First Deputy Prime Minister said.
For Ukraine, the supply of equipment from European thermal power plants is of critical importance amid Russia’s ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure. This involves not only replacing damaged components but also creating an additional reserve for the heating season, restoring generation and distribution capacity, and enhancing the resilience of regional power systems.
The practice of transferring equipment from decommissioned European power plants allows for a faster response to some of Ukraine’s energy needs, as many components are already physically available and can be adapted for use at Ukrainian facilities. At the same time, such deliveries require technical inspections, dismantling, logistics, financing, and coordination among Ukrainian companies, European operators, and government agencies.
Since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine has regularly received energy equipment from EU countries, international organizations, and private companies. This equipment is used to repair damaged power plants, substations, thermal facilities, grids, and critical infrastructure.
The Kametstal plant, part of Metinvest’s mining and metallurgical group and located at the Dniprovsky Metallurgical Plant (Kamenskoye, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), has carried out a major overhaul of part of its pulverized coal injection (PCI) equipment in the blast furnace to reduce energy consumption.
According to the company, the efficiency of blast furnace production at Kametstal is inextricably linked to the reliability of the PCF injection technology; therefore, to ensure the stable operation of this equipment, grinding circuit No. 2—a key stage of this year’s modernization of the PCF complex—has been overhauled.
As specified, PFC is an energy resource that serves as a highly efficient carbon component and makes it possible to drastically reduce natural gas consumption or completely eliminate it from the smelting process. Injection of PVP also makes it possible to reduce the consumption of coke and coke equivalent of standard fuel and contributes to increased productivity of blast furnaces.
The PVP section supplies fuel not only to blast furnace production but also to the rotary kilns of the lime-burning shop.
Kametstal was established on the basis of PJSC Dniprovsky Coke Chemical Plant (DKHP) and PJSC Dniprovsky Metallurgical Plant (DMP). It is part of the Metinvest Group.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine—in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions—as well as in European countries. The holding’s main shareholders are the SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of the Metinvest Group.
Ukrnafta and Wärtsilä, with the support of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Naftogaz Group, have launched a collaboration in the field of energy resilience.
During a meeting between First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal and Petteri Orpo, a framework agreement was signed for the supply of complete equipment for modern gas piston power plants between Ukraine’s largest oil producer, JSC Ukrnafta, and the Finnish leader in energy technology manufacturing, Wärtsilä.
“This is one of the strategic projects aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s energy security amid constant Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. The lengthy negotiation process is achieving its goal,” emphasized Serhiy Koretskyi, Chairman of the Board of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine.
The purchase will be financed through preferential loans from the Finnish-Ukrainian Investment Facility (FUIF), guaranteed by the Finnish export credit agency Finnvera.
“The project will provide backup power for the company’s critical units. The surplus of generated electricity will be directed to meet the needs of the population and businesses within the country’s integrated power grid, which has been affected by Russian attacks,” noted Bogdan Kukura, Chairman of the Board of JSC “Ukrnafta.”
Modern, highly flexible gas equipment will enable Ukrnafta to additionally provide balancing services for the electricity market and significantly strengthen energy security in the regions.
JSC “Ukrnafta” is Ukraine’s largest oil production company and operates the country’s largest national network of gas stations—UKRNAFTA. In 2024, the company entered into an asset management agreement with Glusco. In 2025, it finalized a deal with Shell Overseas Investments BV to purchase the Shell network in Ukraine. In total, it operates nearly 700 gas stations.
The company is implementing a comprehensive program to restore operations and modernize the format of the gas stations in its network. Since February 2023, it has been issuing its own fuel vouchers and “NAFTACard” cards, which are sold to legal entities and individuals through Ukrnafta-Postach LLC.
The largest shareholder of “Ukrnafta” is NJSC “Naftogaz of Ukraine,” holding a 50%+1 share stake.
In November 2022, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to transfer to the state the share of corporate rights in the company that belonged to private owners, which is now managed by the Ministry of Defense.
JSC Ukrnafta and the Finnish company Wärtsilä signed a framework agreement on the supply of complete equipment for gas piston power plants during a meeting between Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and the Ukrainian side, announced First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
“Together with the Finnish-Ukrainian Investment Facility (FUIF) and JSC Ukrnafta, we are implementing a phased program to deploy distributed gas piston power generation,” he wrote on Telegram.
According to Shmyhal, as part of the first phase, an EUR 80 million loan from the EBRD has already been secured, a loan agreement has been signed, a state guarantee has been confirmed, and procurement is underway in accordance with EBRD procedures.
For the subsequent phases, Ukraine plans to use FUIF funding to scale up the program, specifically by installing gas piston power plants based on Wärtsilä equipment.
The First Deputy Prime Minister added that all relevant projects are aimed at promptly strengthening the energy security of the regions, balancing Ukraine’s integrated power grid, and securing critical infrastructure.
