Kyiv building alternative energy and heat supply network - Klitschko

Kyiv is creating a backup heat and energy supply system, but this requires a lot of resources and financial assistance from the state.

This was announced by the mayor of the capital, Vitali Klitschko, in an interview with the Kyiv-24 TV channel on the Day of Kyiv, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"Kyiv has one of the largest centralized heat supply systems in Europe, which was built over dozens of years. Now we must restore the damaged system in 4 months and build a backup in case the centralized supply system is destroyed. This is a very difficult task - to create a new full-fledged powerful cogeneration model in a few months. But it needs to be done, and Kyiv is already implementing energy sustainability measures. But this requires a lot of resources. In particular, people. We are very short of people. However, we are working intensively, so far without state assistance," Klitschko noted.

According to the mayor of Kyiv, the city needs state support, because in general, the construction of an alternative heat and energy supply system for the capital requires from UAH 30 to UAH 60 billion.

"In general, the construction of alternative heat sources requires more than UAH 60 billion. We looked at the real figures and the possibility of using this money to purchase equipment, to make it work. This is approximately UAH 30 billion. Half was taken on by the state, half by the city of Kyiv. We are moving, we constantly have meetings with the government. We want not declarations, but clear guarantees: what facilities the state takes on, and whether they will work in the winter," Vitali Klitschko noted.

He emphasized that 70-80% of Kyiv's budget is the salaries of doctors, educators, and utility workers. In addition, the state takes 60% of personal income tax, does not compensate communities for the difference in heat tariffs and preferential travel costs, and last year "withdrawn" UAH 8 billion from the city budget. Therefore, the capital will not be able to build an alternative heat and energy supply system on its own.

According to him, the capital allocates UAH 15 billion for energy sustainability measures, UAH 1 billion 250 million has already been transferred to the Recovery Agency.

As previously reported, the mayor of Kyiv signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to receive financing for the implementation of the Capital's Energy Sustainability Plan.