By KYIV. Oct 31 (Interfax-Ukraine) – State-owned PJSC Centrenergo received approximately 66% of coal from a strategic reserve formed on account of NPC Ukrenergo, the rest was transferred to thermal power plants, which provide heat to large regional centers, Adviser to the Prime Minister, member of the Supervisory Board of Ukrenergo Yuriy Boiko said.
"About two-thirds of the total amount of coal went to Centrenergo as part of the formation of a strategic reserve. The other part went to coal-fired thermal power plants, including private ones, in Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv. Some of these plants were damaged as a result of hostilities," Boiko said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
At the same time, he noted that another factor that prompted the decision to provide a number of thermal power plants with coal from the strategic reserve is their conversion to gas group coal.
"These plants worked on anthracite, and this summer they carried out large-scale work to transfer boilers to grade G coal. As a result, they also faced a lack of finances for the purchase of coal," Boiko explained, noting that the government decree on creation of the strategic reserve did not provide for the direction of coal from it exclusively to Centrenergo.
According to him, the state thus, to a certain extent, lent a shoulder not so much to business as to objects that are strategic in terms of providing heat to large regional centers.
Boiko added that a little more than UAH 2 billion was used to create a strategic reserve of coal. (Ukrenergo was supposed to allocate UAH 2.5 billion for the stockpile).
