The National Commission for Energy and Housing Utilities Regulation (NCER) has approved a preliminary decision on certification of PrJSC Ukrenergo as an independent operator of the electricity transmission system.
The corresponding document was adopted at a meeting of the regulator on October 7.
According to the previously published draft resolution, Ukrenergo by October 20 should exclude from the charter of the enterprise provisions that do not comply with the requirements of the law on the electricity market, as well as other regulatory documents regulating the energy sector.
The final decision on certification of Ukrenergo is possible after the company completes all the necessary measures specified in the preliminary decision, as well as after the Energy Community evaluates the preliminary decision.
“This is only the first step towards the certification of an independent operator. The preliminary decision will be sent to the Energy Community Secretariat, worked out, and we will expect an assessment of the document for its compliance with European law,” Oleksandr Formahei, a member of the commission, said.
As reported, in late May the NCER allowed Ukrenergo to work in the new wholesale electricity market under the old license until the company passes certification. The certification deadline is October 30, 2019, while Ukrenergo’s license is valid until this date.
Ukrenergo National Energy Company will finish construction of the Kreminska substation with a power capacity of 500/220 kV (Kreminna town in Luhansk region) by the end of May 2020, Ukrenergo operations director Volodymyr Kudrytsky said at a press conference in Kyiv.
“Kyiv Energy Construction Company in Ivano-Frankivsk, one of the biggest companies Ukrenergo is working with, won the bids in 2017. At present moment, it is building the facility. May 2020 is an expected date of completion of the building works,” he said.
Kudrytsky reminded that the term for completion of the works was scheduled for December 2018. However, these terms have been shifted over the Cabinet of Ministers’ delay to approve the design documentation and settling the issues with land acquisition. Kyiv Energy Construction Company in order not to waste time started to buy necessary equipment and machinery before the government approved the documentation.
According to company’s operation director, the cost of construction now totals UAH 1.3 billion, while the Cabinet of Ministers initially appraised it at UAH 1.7 billion.
He also reported that Ukrenergo was working over the project on increase of the capacities of Luhansk thermal power plant (TPP).
“To provide distribution of Luhansk TPP in full, at a moment we initiated building of another facility, it is on the stage of design. This is a 220 kV transmission line from Luhansk TPP to Yuvileina power substation,” he said.
As reported, construction of Kreminska substation launched two years ago.
The Kreminska substation will make it possible to synchronize the electricity supply system in the northern Donbas with Ukraine’s Integrated Power System (IPS) and provide a stable link to that system.
Consumers in the northern part of the Luhansk region are only supplied by coal-fired Luhanska TPP. Previously, the fuel was delivered to the station by rail through Russia, but today deliveries have ceased completely being blocked by the Russian Federation.
Now the station runs on gas, which is much more expensive than coal. This is economically disadvantageous. In addition, the station is located in close proximity to the war zone, and its continued operation is constantly under threat. These factors pose significant risks of complete shutdown of the Luhanska TPP. At the same time, due to damage to power grids as a result of hostilities, only two 110 kV transmission lines now connect the Luhanska power unit with the power grid of Ukraine. Their capacity, with no generation at the Luhansk TPP, is only 110MW. Meanwhile, the power unit’s consumption is from 140 MW at night to 220MW in the evening peak. Thus, if the operation of the Luhansk TPP stops in any reasons, the region won’t be provided with electricity as strongly as required.
National Energy Company Ukrenergo plans to attract another EUR 24.5 million from Kreditanstalt Fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW, Germany) to implement a project to increase effectiveness of electricity transmission, which is the third phase of reconstruction and automation of the company’s substations.
According to a company’s press release, the relevant intentions were recorded in the protocol on the results of the intergovernmental negotiations held on May 20 in Kyiv with the participation of the company.
“This will significantly improve the reliability of power transmission and ensure the technical compliance of equipment and network operation with the standards and requirements of ENTSO-E [the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity],” the press service reported, citing Ukrenergo Deputy Director for investment Volodymyr Kudritsky as saying.
In general, KfW announced its readiness to provide more than EUR 80 million for the implementation of reforms in a number of sectors of the Ukrainian economy.
During the meeting, Ukrenergo spoke about the implementation of a roadmap for the integration of the Ukrainian power grid with ENTSO-E. In this direction, the company cooperates with the German transmission system operator 50 Hertz, which is now a key partner of Ukrenergo in the process of integrating networks.
National energy company Ukrenergo and the electricity transmission system operator SEPS (Slovakia) will sign a new agreement of cooperation and joint operation of the 400 kV overhead power line Mukachevo-Velke Kapusany, connecting the Burshtyn thermal power plant island and the Slovakian power grid, by the end of 2019, the press service of Ukrenergo has reported.
The need to update the agreement, which sets out the rules and requirements regarding the operation of the line, the order of interaction between operators during joint operation of the interstate section is due to changes in the rules and requirements of ENTSO-E (the European Network of System Operators of Electricity System).
The new document will be developed on the basis of the principles that most of the European operators of the electricity transmission system apply, the company said.
As reported, in October 2018, the Ukrainian and Slovakian operators agreed on building a new power line as an optimal solution for boosting power transmission between Ukraine and Slovakia. According to the agreements, a new 400 kV overhead line will be built, which will connect the existing 400 kV substations Mukachevo and Velke Kapusany in the single-circuit version with the possibility of further upgrading it to double-circuit in case of an increase in the volume of interstate flows. Considering the condition of the existing 400 kV overhead line Mukachevo-Velke Kapusany, which has been operating since 1963, its modernization was recognized as inexpedient. The line will work until the launch of the new line.
This project is a candidate for projects of mutual interest (PMI).
National energy company Ukrenergo on April 1, 2019 started accepting documents to register electricity market players, the company has said.
Ukrenergo recalled that the registration is a mandatory condition for operation on the electricity market from July 1, 2019, as well as for testing the subsystem accepting and processing timetables of market players and the function of the payment administrator.
The form of the application for the registration that is to be sent to Ukrenergo in paper and guidelines are posted on the company’s website (https://u.to/aZkCFQ). The company also created a call center for consultations, phone (044) 238 37 00.
As reported, in July 2019 in Ukraine, the launch of a new model of the wholesale electricity market is scheduled pursuant to the law on the electricity market passed in April 2017. It is planned to move from work on the “single buyer” model to a competitive mechanism providing for bilateral contracts between producers and large consumers, suppliers, the introduction of the balancing market, the day-ahead market and the intraday market.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) could provide EUR 149 million to national energy company Ukrenergo for the project to modernize power transmission networks, the bank has said on its website.
The project has passed final review, pending board approval.
The loan will finance procurement of up to 26 new transformers and the automation and upgrade of 12 high voltage substations in key locations of the transmission network of Ukraine. The total project cost is EUR 198.2 million, including EUR 49.2 million of own funds of Ukrenergo.
The project will enable Ukrenergo to upgrade its key transmission infrastructure, required for synchronization with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).
In addition, the modernization will result in substantial energy savings and associated CO2 emission reduction.
