By TBILISI. Dec 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Nizhyn, Chernihiv region, won a EUR 100,000 grant through the German Society for International Cooperation GIZ for the construction of a solar power plant for the needs of Nizhyn Vodokanal, Secretary of the City Council Yuriy Khomenko has said.
"Specialists of the investment department of the city council, together with specialists from the water utility, have carried out important work to establish cooperation with GIZ. The result of this work was a grant of EUR 100,000 for the construction of a solar power plant for the water utility’s own consumption of electricity, which supplies water to all 70,000 people," Khomenko told the agency Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of a conference in Tbilisi dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Covenant of Mayors in the Eastern Partnership region.
According to him, the current composition of the City Council has committed itself to transfer at least 70%-80% of the power consumption of the water utility to autonomous sources.
"The solar power plant is a good start. The water utility consumes about 120,000 kWh per month, which is very noticeable for our city. The construction of the solar power plant will solve the problem in part, but this is the beginning," he said.
Khomenko said the solar power plant is planned to be built by the beginning of spring.
As for the work of the water utility with a possible power outage, the secretary of the City Council explained that for the needs of the water utility, the city purchased power generators on time, due to which water is returned in about an hour during a power outage.
On the whole, he said that "we are more than 100% ready for the peaceful heating season," but in war conditions it is an extremely important task to provide the boiler house with generators, and now, in particular, there is a big problem with the purchase of a 600 kW generator for heat supply.
"We set ourselves the task of being able to continuously supply electricity to boiler houses for at least two weeks. Today, there is not enough 600 kW generator in the city. Money in the amount of UAH 9 million has been allocated by the executive committee, and we have been trying to buy. But high demand is very problematic. Suppliers respond, but two-three months for delivery, when we actually need it for yesterday," Khomenko said.
At the same time, he said since the city owns 40% of Nizhyn heating networks, a lot also depends on private participants in the society.
