During the war, when the russian aggressor regularly attacks the energy sector. The physical protection of energy facilities becomes critically important. Oleksii Kuleba, Vice Prime Minister for Recovery and Minister of Communities and Territories Development, informed which facilities in Ukraine already have strong protection.
The Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine is currently implementing a program to build physical protection at energy facilities across the country, in particular, 750 and 330 kV substations. Oleksii Kuleba, Vice Prime Minister for Recovery and Minister of Communities Development, has said this in an interview with Ekonomichna Pravda.
"The 750- and 330-kilovolt substations. These are large facilities, they protect a transformer or a group of transformers. They transmit energy at high capacities between regions, between oblasts. In addition, the Restoration Agency, which is now subordinated to us, will build protection for an additional 125 power elements. These are 110- and 150-kilovolt transformers. These are smaller transformers or groups of transformers located in the frontline regions," noted Oleksii Kuleba.
According to him, the russian attackers changed their tactics and started hitting 110 and 150 kV substations, which led to the fact that the settlements started losing power supply to each other. So, the question arose how to protect them.
"Air defense will not work effectively at these facilities, they need to be reinforced with physical protection. After that, the Ministry of Energy, together with the regional military administrations, compiled a list of facilities that need protection and sent it to our headquarters. At the headquarters, we decided what type of physical protection we would use," Oleksii Kuleba said in an interview.
Speaking about an example of protection that is already working effectively, the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned protection at large substations - 750- and 330-kilovolt ones. "We have examples of a station that withstood 17 attacks per day, direct hits by Shaheds. Perhaps I would put the hydro protection in second place, or perhaps in first place. It is thanks to this (protection - Ed.) that we are now able to balance our energy system," said Oleksii Kuleba. He also added that the protection for substations near the NPP is developed and implemented by NNEGC Energoatom, and Ukrhydroenergo has already built protection (for its power facilities) on its own.
As a reminder, as part of a pilot project, starting in 2023, the Restoration Agency was responsible for the physical protection of 22 Ukrenergo facilities in 14 regions.
As reported earlier, Ukrhydroenergo has signed a contract for the construction of an anti-drone protection structure for transformers at the Kremenchuk hydroelectric power plant.
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